Black Rain
by Ren One
Summary: 3 years after what happened, Squall reflects, and Seifer asks him perhaps the worst question he will ever be asked... First ever fic. Completed
1. Never Ending Problems

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BLACK WIND

Chapter 1 – Never Ending Problems

The stars twinkled above as Squall Leonhart, Commander of Balamb Garden and (now) saviour of the world and of Garden, stood on the ballroom balcony. He saw a shooting star overhead, and looked to his left, there stood the reason that made him smile, the first real smile he almost forgot how to do, having note done one for several years. He had no reason to. Now he had. He took Rinoa in his arms, and, feeling truly happy for the first time in his life, kissed her for what seemed like an eternity…

…_ra……in_…….

Suddenly Squall broke them apart. There was a crash from inside followed by a lot of 'colourful' language from a very loud Zell. Rinoa giggled as Squall pretended to hold his hands over his ears.

"let's go back inside" laughed Rinoa, and took Squall's hand. Squall immediately separated them, which upset her

"No, don't worry Rinoa" he said "I just gotta go for a walk, but don't worry, I'm not sulking" he smiled again "if you need me, I'll probably be on the second floor balcony.

"OK" Rinoa smiled again, and kissed him. Squall left.

Suddenly, Quistis walked over to where she was standing. "Is he OK?" she sounded concerned.

"Yeah" Rinoa smiled warmly "I think… I think this is probably the last 'sort my thoughts out' walk ever". 

"you think so?"

"Yeah? I mean.. what is there for him to worry about?" Rinoa took Quistis' arm, and joined the others.

Squall walked down the corridor towards the lift, avoiding all the people who wished to say 'well done', 'congratulations' and 'thank you!' He especially avoided (but failed) a hyperactive Selphie, who was hell-bent on dragging him back into the party. But he needed to be alone, so Selphie let him be, and alone he found himself.

Getting into the lift and going to the second floor balcony seemed to be a blur to him, and before he knew it, he was standing on the balcony, the cool waves lapping below, and the equally cool wind brushing against his face, overlooking the ocean. It looked peaceful enough. Apart from the whirring noise of the garden's ring, there was nothing. So he took this opportunity to mumble his thoughts to himself .

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Problem 1 – Even though she was now defeated, Squall couldn't help but think of who Ultimecia was, and if anything could be done to prevent her from arising, and ask the others for their solutions. He didn't know how much time they had, but they had to think of something. He himself thought about finding and destroying her at an early age, no matter how heartless it would be. To take her life would be something little, to keep her life could be taking away millions. He also thought, that if they DID find her early, perhaps she could be persuaded to assist the Garden and the world, not hinder it. Since Edea was a Sorceress, and was a kind one, he felt it was possible. He would talk to Edea, perhaps she would know. "OK" he said "Problem possibly solved.. talk to Edea"

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Problem 2 – All of these monsters because of the lunar cry. Oh well, the various countries will do what they can, but I personally wouldn't rest until every one of them was wiped off the face of this Earth. Then we could deal with the cause of these Cries. At least as far as the monsters are concerned, that'll keep everyone busy for a few years. Before I start to get bored. Problem solved. Maybe.

Squall turned around, leaning his back against the balcony.

__

Now a real Problem he thought_. Laguna. I didn't know for sure but, after what Ellone showed me, and told me, it could just be him, everything adds up, even the timelines, I guess ill just ask him outright. Ill worry about it later.. but now…_

Squall turned back around, looking into the ocean. This was the cause of his 'walk'. Sure, the other problems could be discussed tomorrow with the others.. but, this one, along with Laguna, couldn't wait. _Because it was personal _he thought _and even if I did mention it, it would be me who would have to deal with it… Seifer Almasy._

Squall's eyes narrowed. Seifer. I hope you've learned your lesson. Maybe now you'll call it quits on this ridiculous 'dream' of yours, and let both of us get on with leading our respective lives… hopefully…

__

…raining…

… a pair of eyes… fixed on him…

He grimaced as this (Image? Vision?) went through his head, along with a sharp pain.

He opened his eyes, relaxed, and closed them again. No pain this time.

__

…He's holding his Gunblade differently, as though he's been hurt…

The images disappeared as quickly as they came, then everything went black


	2. Time Plans and Solutions

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BLACK RAIN

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A couple of things – first of all the Disclaimer, which I accidentally left out in the first chapter. (oops!) As you know, like yourselves, we don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

Secondly, I messed up the title, the Story title IS 'Black Rain' But for some unknown reason I wrote 'Black Wind'. Sorry! Damn Cornflakes hadn't kicked in yet. OK enough boredom…

****

Chapter 2 – Time Plans and Solutions

"Welcome back," said a familiar voice. Familiar? No. Wait.. I do know it.

…Rain…heavy rain…

…A flash of lightning.. no a spell. Holy?…

… a searing hot sensation in his arms…

…a flaring coat…

…blades.. strike…

…trig…pu…

"Ouch" Yelled Squall. He jerked up and banged his head off the lamp overhead.

"Normally, people open their eyes first, then they sit up" said an amused voice. Dr Kadowaki was sitting at Squall's head.

"The Infirmary?" Squall sat bolt upright (making sure the lamp was well out of the way) and scanned his surroundings. Indeed it was the Infirmary. "How'd I get here?"

"You don't remember?"

"No, I don't" said Squall, starting to get annoyed and wishing she would just tell him.

"you had fainted. Quistis was the one who found you. She heard from Rinoa that you were going for a walk to the balcony, and wanted to speak to you, but when she got there, you were slumped on the floor."

… anger…hate…

…finish this…

…you had your chance…

Squall rubbed his forehead. What was this? What's wrong with him?

"When can I go?" he asked. It's not that he didn't like the Infirmary, or the doctor, he just felt… uneasy when it came to 'medical' matters.

"Hmmm, let me check you over once more, then you can go."

Squall sat there for 5 minutes, trying his best to shut out Kadowaki's voice, who was going on about 'taking it easy' and 'it could have been worse'. But he knew better to say anything. And no sooner had the doctor said "OK, off you go" that Squall was already out the door.

"How you feeling?" asked Rinoa. She immediately walked up to him and hugged him close.

Normally Squall would have swatted her away, but Rinoa was different, she somehow managed to calm him. _Must be a Sorceress thing _he thought, _or maybe it's just because I'm beginning to care.. oh yeah, Edea_ that reminded him of his ideas.

"I'm fine" he said. Looking around, the whole orphanage gang were here.

"Never thought you'd faint on us Squall" Irvine chuckled "I thought the only pansy boy we had here was Zell" he laughed out loud

Zell immediately blew up "That's it! You're DEAD!"

Irvine pretended to blow him kisses "I know your fast, but can you dodge a bullet?" he grinned.

"Stop it, both of you" Squall interrupted. They immediately shut up.

"Yeah" Selphie chimed.

"Are you sure you're alright Squall? Quistis leaned forward "you didn't look too healthy when I found you"

Squall ignored her. "Let's get up to the third floor. I want to discuss something with all of you, but it also involves Edea and Cid"

As they all turned to go, Squall took Quistis' hand.

"How did you find me?" Squall wanted to know if Quistis saw anything.

"What do you mean?"

"In what way, and did you see anything?"

"No, you were lying on the ground, but.. I don't know. Maybe it was just the way you had fallen"

"What do you mean?" Squall said, a slight panic in his voice.

"Bet he was drunk…" Irvine sniggered, but was promptly silenced by a slap from Selphie.

"The way you were lying" Quistis continued "It was like you were lying on your side holding your weapon" she mimicked the way Squall held his gunblade "Like this, except your hand were open, but definitely in that position"

Squall said nothing.

*****

Headmaster Cid looked at the six SeeD's and Rinoa standing around the table, and gestured for them to sit down. Edea was also here, already seated at the table. Cid and the others listened as Squall spoke of the plans. He had decided only to comment on the 'Ultimecia' issue and the 'Monster' issue. He didn't say anything about the other two because he felt that no one could help him.

Edea stood up "you are right Squall, but not entirely. You say to try to find Ultimecia, when she exists and before she destroys the Earth, and try to get her to co-operate. But you are wrong if you think that only Rinoa and myself are the only sorceresses that exist right now"

The group stared at her. Even Rinoa. She too had believed this. Edea continued

"In terms of power, yes, Rinoa and myself, we are only what you would call 'very noticeable'. But there are other sorceresses. Many aren't aware they posses theses powers, some do and try to hide the fact that they are, either through fear of SeeD or fear of themselves. And there are those who decide to 'lock' away their powers. A powerful sorceress cannot do this, but like you said, maybe they can be convinced to use their powers to help the world. Without fear"

"So what your saying is." Zell spoke up " is that Ultimecia could already be here, but not have enough power yet, but will eventually?"

Edea nodded. The group hung their heads, saying nothing.

"there's only one thing to do" Squall said and walked around the table "and that is to try to contact every potential person out there who could be, think they are, or is a sorceress, and ask them for their help, to prevent Ultimecia from arising, or gaining power, or whatever.." he trailed off. Selphie pipped in.

"Also we could ask the sorceresses to help destroy the monsters! That way people won't need to fear them as they are helping them do good for the rest of the world! Both problems solved. Also we can watch the Sorceresses, and find out if any of them are trying to gain more power"

"brilliant child!" Edea beamed. Selphie couldn't help blushing. The others couldn't help but be impressed by her ideas.

"Squall, what do you think?" asked Rinoa"

"Sound good"

"Yes it does" Cid finally spoke. I shall set a team to contact the various country leaders around the world. Now that we have radio back, it should be easier to broadcast now." He sighed "Also, I have something to tell you. After this I am stepping down as headmaster, and appointing Xu as my successor. After that, Edea and I are going to go back to the orphanage, and try to rebuild it"

The group was stunned into silence. Retiring? But as they studied the features of the old man, they decided he wasn't joking. Quistis seemed first to recover.

"Very well Cid, but you'll be missed." She wondered whether to say anything out loud about what happened to Squall, but didn't need to, thanks to Rinoa.

"Squall, tell us what happened. Why did you faint?"

Squall glared at her "I just had a headache. It was nothing. Can we get going now? To make the announcement?

"Yes, let's" said Cid "But not you squall, I would like to talk to you alone if possible, you can tell the others later if you want to"

The others left, except for Edea. Squall turned to Cid

"Why speak to me privately if I can tell the others anyway?

"Because" and at this moment Cid grew serious "you may not want to tell them all of it"

Squall stared at him "OK" he answered "You're still the headmaster"

"Only for a few more days"

"…………………"

Cid stood up and sat opposite Squall. Edea next to him.

"some very good suggestions regarding Ultimecia. But actually I too have a suggestion, and it's also a mission as well."

"A mission?"

"Yes" again, he looked serious "Esthar's presidential aides contacted Garden just this morning. They have a solution to stop Ultimecia in the future"

"What is it?" Squall looked serious himself"

"Assassinate Dr Odine, or failing that, bring him to us for questioning. Also destroy his lab as best as you can, without arousing suspicion. Anything dangerous, get rid of it."

Squall was dumbfounded "Assassinate? Why?"

Edea spoke up "Ultimecia used a machine to travel back in time and to go after Ellone. Odine built the machine. So if we put Odine out of the picture, there will be no machine to use."

Cid finished "I want you to take 2 other SeeD's with you and carry out this order. But beware, he may have already been alerted to our plans, and may already have started building the machine in secret."

"How? How will they know were coming?" he asked.

"they've got someone over there who thinks like we do, and there could possibly be only one person who knows what a SeeD can do."

Squall sat silently. He knew the answer, there was no need to say it.

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Chapter 3 will be up shortly. I would very much appreciate it if you gave us some writing tips, as this is my very first FanFic, All reviews will be appreciated


	3. Different Visions Same Nightmare

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BLACK RAIN

Chapter 3 – Different Visions – Same Nightmare

Squall walked out of Cid's office, and was immediately confronted by Zell.

"What happened? What's going on?"

Squall didn't know where to begin, but tried. "I need 2 SeeD's to accompany me to Esthar on a mission."

Zell was puzzled. "Esthar? Why?"

Squall frowned "Balamb Garden got a request from Esthar this morning to embark on a mission to assassinate Dr. Odine. Edea and Cid figured that if we take him out, then Odine can't build the time machine that Ultimecia uses to go back in time, therefor preventing all the things that happened in the past… whatever. Quistis? Zell? Will you come with me? The sooner we get this over with the better. Selphie? Irvine? Cid asked me to ask you two to stay here to organise the monster communication and organise cadets into squads to take out the various monsters, also to help organise the SeeD's into squads so they can take out the stronger monsters on The Heaven and Hell islands."

"Cool! More monsters to trash!" Selphie leapt into the air with joy. Irvine smiled.

"As long as I'm here with my Sefie, I'm happy"

Squall nodded. Rinoa spoke up "Umm. Squall? What about me?"

Squall looked at her, straight into her brown eyes. Again he felt that calmness overcoming him. Rinoa couldn't help but smile, almost as if she _knew_ she was calming him down.

"Edea wants to talk to you, but I don't know what about"

"Oh!" Rinoa smiled again, she thought it was bad news "OK, see you soon. Good luck." She darted up and kissed him on the cheek, the walked into the office.

Selphie giggled under her breath.

"What?" Squall asked, with a hint of amusement in his voice "Come on, let's go"

Squall,Quistis and Zell were all aboard the Ragnarok, ready to take off. Zell had immediately positioned himself in the pilot seat. Squall moaned about this because of what happened the last time Zell had been the pilot, and almost immediately reminded Zell of his 'near catastrophe' which Zell himself had dismissed as a 'slight hiccup'. Zell thought he had merely messed up, he had simply (accidentally) made the ship go backwards instead of forwards, and almost (accidentally) destroyed Esthar's Presidential Palace, if it wasn't for Selphie, the palace would now have a rather fetching 'Ragnarok's front end' motif embedded into the front of the Palace.

But it was Quistis who took off, and then gave control to Zell, making sure that the only thing he could _possibly_ 'accidentally' crash into was the ocean. This insulted Zell, and refused to speak to Quistis for the rest of the trip. Squall couldn't help but laugh, but that quickly disappeared when Quistis asked him about the 'faint' again in the passenger lounge.

"For the last time Quistis, I don't want to talk about it"

"Why not?"

"Because"

"Because How?"

"Because it's none of your business"

"Oh" Well then I see!" Quistis stood up, a grin on her face "and what would the situation be like if I was Rinoa?"

Squall glared at her, but also realised she was right. "OK, you'd better sit down"

Quistis sat "still learning how to open up to people I see"

"Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Of course, carry on"

Squall stared at the floor, and closed his eyes.

__

…Rain, heavy rain, so heavy, it's almost…unnatural…

…He has his back to me… now he's turned around…

…Explosions…

…This isn't a building… a ship? Were floating?…

"Squall?" Quistis asked. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and was immediately rocked by a flash of some sorts.

"I..I'm fine, trying to piece it together" His voice sounded shallow "What happened there?"

Quistis looked scared "I'm sorry, I touched you, but I think I saw something too"

"What? You sure?"

"Yes" Quistis was starting to sound more worried.

"Do me a favour, give me your hands" he asked

"What? Why?"

"Please Quistis"

"OK" Quistis placed her hands onto Squalls, and closed her eyes. She was vaguely wondering how nice the leather felt on her hands. _No_, she thought _He and Rinoa belong to each other, forget about i.._

…Rinoa?…

She screamed a little. Squall broke their grip.

"You saw something?" he sounded genuinely worried.

"What was that?"

"Yes show me more, if you can" She took Squalls hands in hers and closed her eyes.

She saw something, but it wasn't what Squall saw

__

…Rinoa! Don't! Don't get angry!…

…Rinoa screams, almost like a cry, energy crackled around her…

…Red Light-ning?…

…Angel wings.. a beautiful white..now silver..now a steel coloured grey..now…

…No! Rinoa! No!…

Suddenly a spark shoots between them, separating them. Squall blows on his hands, almost like they were on fire.

"What happened to Rinoa?" she pleaded

"Rinoa? What are you talking about?"

"Rinoa!" Quistis shouted, then settled down "she was going crazy she was angry, real angry, she was unleashing her power. She had these wings, they were changing colour…she was angry at something..someone"

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…Timea…

"I didn't see Rinoa!" Squall shouted "I think I was myself, but I was fighting someone, I think it was Seifer…"

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…It was…

"Seifer? Where? Where were you fighting him?" Quistis was concerned for Squall more than herself.

"I don't know. All I know is that were on a roof or something, and its raining heavily"

__

…Unnatural in colour…a black colour.. black rain…if there is such a thing…

Quistis shrugged "What did we see? Was it. The future perhaps? Is that it?"

Squall didn't reply. _Rinoa? Why were you angry? What happened? Or is going to happen? What are these visions? It reminds me of…_

"Ellone" he said aloud.

"Hmmm? Ellone? What about her?"

"These visions. They're a lot like the one's we experienced when Ellone sent us to the past"

"Could it be possible she can do both?"

"I don't think so, no, it can't be her. I don't think she can do that. Unless she can, and hasn't told us"

"Hm? Squall?" Quistis decided to try to get Squall out of his thoughts

"Can you take over from Zell? And ask him to come through here?"

"Going to see if it works with him?"

"Yeah"

"OK" Quistis got up and headed for the pilots room.

A few moments later, Zell appeared.

"Sit down Zell" he said.

"You OK? Sorry for asking man, but you look under the weather, mind you so does Quistis" he sounded concerned.

"I want you to give me your hands, and close your eyes"

Zell laughed "Didn't know you liked this sort of stuff Squall"

Squall laughed himself "Very funny, just do it, I'm serious."

"Ok." He said, and did as he asked.

__

…Standing outside, looking at the floating structure…

…Get out of there man get ou…

…Looks Down at Quistis…

…Looks Down at.. someone? A man?…

…He screams as the structure explodes…

…White light…

…a ship was nearby…

"What the hell?" Zell also shouts as the same 'jolt' that Quistis and Squall experienced breaks them. "What the?"

"I don't know" replies Squall " I truly don't know."


	4. 2 more pieces of the puzzle

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BLACK RAIN

Chapter 4 – 2 More pieces of the puzzle

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(Balamb Garden – just after the meeting)

Rinoa walked into the office and seated herself at the end of the table. Cid was sitting at the other end; Edea seated next to him. _They look like royalty_, she thought.

"We wish" replied Edea.

"You can read minds?" Rinoa was surprised

"When I feel like it, all sorceresses can, child"

"Why can't I do it?"

"You haven't 'checked' what powers you have, dear" Edea continued "which is why we are here, or more to the point, me. I'm going to teach you how to use those powers, as a benefit to yourself, and to the world". She smiled.

Rinoa said nothing. True, she knew that Edea's powers had passed on to her, and Hyne knows who else's, thanks to Ultimecia, who herself had the combined power of all the sorceresses in time. She was sure she had more than a lot of power, she was unsure just how much. From the way everyone was harping on about it, she came to the conclusion that she was more than likely the most powerful sorceress in the world.

"Right again dear" Edea replied. "Now" she said, no, _thought_ at her "_it's time to begin_. _After this I'm going to make and help you to unleash and control that power. Your heart and soul are very strong. Therefor you will be able to use your power as much as you possibly can handle."_

"Handle? You mean I won't be able to use all of it?" she quizzed the elder sorceress.

"Unfortunately no" Edea grimaced "it depends on what your emotional state is. If it is joy, calmness or happiness, you should be able to unleash all of it, and still be in full control"

She looked Rinoa dead in the eyes and spoke into her mind again.

__

"However, if you unleash when you are angry, hurt or upset, then I'm afraid almost no-one will be able to help you."

Rinoa shivered under her gaze "Almost anyone? And what if there is a situation where this will happen? Who can help?"

"Only someone whom you would deem a calming influence" Edea answers. "Like your knight, for instance"

"Squall" she murmured. Yes. Edea was right. She needed calming influence and Squall was it. Obviously she hoped there would never be a situation where she got upset, or angry, but just thinking about him made her feel warm all over.

"Good" Edea smiled. I hope so. I hope you've chosen wisely. Now let's begin"

__

(Balamb Garden – Cafeteria - 6 hours later)

Irvine was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, musing to himself. He had finished his duties about an hour ago, so he decided to come down here for a cup of tea, hoping to get rid of a headache that had suddenly appeared. _It feels like a migraine_ he thought irritably. He went to the doctor earlier to get something for it. It didn't work. He pinched his nose and closed his eyes tight

__

…Looking down on them…on the roof…

…Go down!…

He shook his head. What was that?

…A blue folder…hidden in a safe…

…Tell sq… warn…

I'm losing my mind he thought. He was interrupted when Selphie sat beside him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, her usual happy self.

"I'm fine, I think" he wasn't sure.

"Are you having a headache, by any chance?" she asked.

Irvine looked at her, startled "How... how did you know that?"

Selphies face dropped "I'm not feeling too good either. I also...felt something when I closed my eyes" she wasn't smiling at all.

Irvine got up. "Come on Selphie."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere private" he took her hand. As he did so, he felt a _…flash…_ in his mind.

…Grab me!…

…He jumps…

…The ship is engulfed in a white light…

"Don't touch me... at least not yet" said Irvine

The secret area in the training centre was deserted. Irvine made sure of that. He actually did it earlier, almost as if he _knew_ he was coming here later. He turned to Selphie.

"What is this?" he asked.

Selphie shook her head "I don't know, but it reminds me of Ellone somehow"

"Can't be her, no way"

"How?" she asked

"Well for a start, it's only flashes." Irvine replied. "Secondly were not falling asleep, and thirdly, the visions I'm seeing are from the view of myself. If that makes sense." He took his hat off and scratched his head.

"Take my hands, Irvine, maybe you'll see mine too, my visions, and maybe I'll see yours"

"Um. OK"

He took Selphie's hands.

__

(Selphies Vision)

__

…The ship shakes as she tries to keep it under control…

…She sees white (streaks?) coming from the town nearby…

…Irvine! Grab him! I see him!!!…

…Banks hard left…

…A white light…

A red spark shoots between their hands, and he pulls away from Selphie.

"You Ok?" she asks. Her hands feel like they were on fire.

"Yeah. These 'images' are too 'real' to be dreams" he trailed off, not understanding what he was saying.

Selphie was silent.

"Do you wanna go see the headmaster about this?" he asks.

"Yeah" Selphie finally answers. "Let's go, this is serious."

__

(Ragnarok – Cockpit - after Zell's Vision)

The ship was now on autopilot, cruising towards the Esthar shores; the airstation was still a good 4 hours away. Squall, Quistis and Zell are all sitting in the cockpit, all thinking to themselves. Finally Quistis speaks up.

"This is very serious. What is this? We receive a strange headache sensation in our minds. We all see visions. Our own visions, but nobody else's. It's almost like a play."

Zell chipped in. "I don't know about you guys, but my vision was weird as hell. I was standing outside, with Quistis and someone else, when the thing suddenly explodes."

"Thing?" This catches Squall's attention "what thing?"

"It was floating. It was huge. I think it was the Lunatic Pandora."

Squall stared at him "Are you Sure?"

"Pretty sure" said Zell. "But not entirely, as it's really dark. Like it's nightime or something"

"That thing is derelict" says Quistis "No-one's there… But…"

"But what?" asks Zell.

"The room I 'saw' Rinoa going crazy in. It was very similar to Adel's chamber."

Squall was only half-listening. He was thinking. _I'm fighting Seifer on a roof of sorts. The 'roof' felt like it was floating or something. No? Then it must be true… _Zell breaks him from his thoughts.

"Squall? Any idea what to do?"

Squall thought for a moment. "When we get to Esthar, we'll contact the Garden. Ask them to send Selphie, Zell and Rinoa, regardless of what they're doing, and fast. Qustis, once we land, take the Ragnarok to FH, wait for them there and pick them up. Zell and I will go ahead and try to find out what's going on."

"What about the mission?" Zell asks Squall.

"We'll have to deal with it when Quistis gets back." He answers.

"OK"

"Let's get moving" says Squall.

"Already ahead of you" calls Quistis from the pilot seat.

The Ragnarok's boosters scream into life as Quists pelts full speed towards Esthar.

__

I've got a bad feeling about this thinks Squall_. Cid says they may already know were coming, and I bet we'll find Odine in just one place. The source of our 'dreams'._

He closes his eyes. _Lunatic Pandora._

I'm currently working on a few ideas on where this is going, so it'll be a few days before anything knew. Thanks for reading. All reviews/Critic comments much appreciated ta!


	5. The Enemy Of Time

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BLACK RAIN

Chapter 5 – The Enemy of Time

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(Lunatic Pandora – Adel's Chamber)

"How is the machine, Odine?" the woman standing behind him asked.

"It iz… getting there, I don't know what I've done, but I'll fix it. Odine alwayz does." The scientist grinned "Alwayz."

"Take your time, Doctor." The woman replied "I don't want it malfunctioning. What exactly is the problem anyway?"

"Ze calibrations are all wrong for some reason, Instead of ze past, ze machine is transmitting images from ze future. There's going to be a lot of spooked people out there."

"Why?" the woman asked, smiling secretly to herself.

Odine frowned "Well, zere iz going to be people out there seeing glimpses of their own future, zey will think zey are going mad or somethingk."

The woman turned away "never mind Odine" she says softly. "I have a … very good feeling you'll get it working shortly."

"All I know iz I will not give up until I get it working. Then you can do as you please with it. Anything." The doctor turns around and looks at her. "Just remember our agreement."

The woman rolls her eyes skyward. "If you don't stop reminding me, I might" she snaps at him. "Trust me, Odine, you'll get more money than you ever dreamed of for building this thing, also I hope I will have your word of silence on this little 'project' of ours. No one else but us two should know."

Odine grinned "As you wish, madam."

"Good" she replied. "I'll leave you to it, there are some other matters that I must attend to. Summon me if you require anything." She walks out, leaving Odine alone.

"Yes" Odine murmurs to himself "Yes, Madam Luic, as you wish."

The woman walked gracefully down the corridor and into a side room that was only just previously built. She stands at the door, opens it, and walks inside. She waits until the door closes before walking over to the bench-bed and observing the boy lying on it. Ok, he wasn't _quite_ a boy at 18, but still…

She walks over to where his head is positioned and stares down at him, placing a finger onto his forehead. She takes one deep breath, and disappears.

__

…The boy, wearing all black save for his T-shirt. Long hair, a mark on his face. He's incredibly strong…

…The girl in blue. So she has it then, not for long…

…The boy with the gun…

…The girl in yellow…

…The boy with red gloves…

…The girl in orange…

__

They're all strong, she thinks. _Three of them in particular. The boy, so similar to this one. Squall, his name is. Same weapon. Same mark._

She delves further into his mind, to find other similarities.

__

A rival? An equal? Hmmm, I may have figured out how to deal with him.

She turns her attention to finding out about the girl in blue.

__

Now, this one is a real problem. She studies her features. _That power, oh how I long to feel it. Rinoa, her name is, and she was also a one-time girlfriend of this boy. Now she's with his rival. No wonder he loathes him so. So she has it then, I'll have to be extra careful with her, and I'll have to get her alone if possible. But I must be wary, for she is more powerful than all of…_

She breaks off, something tells her to study the girl in orange. _It seems to be just these three that will play in my game of power, life, and death. The other three are strong, but nowhere near these three._

She looks closely at the girl in orange. Suddenly her eyes go wide. "_What the?" _ She says to herself. A spark suddenly shoots through her head and forces her to come back to the outside.

She found something out.

Something herself that the girl doesn't even know.

__

This girl will become a bigger threat than the other two, if she finds out what she is and what she can do. A tiny tendril of fear begins to uncurl in her stomach. _NO!_ She thinks to herself, _what is this? Why didn't I see it sooner? Quistis her name was. I'll just have to hope that she'll never find out…_

She looks down, broken from her thoughts as the boy begins to stir.

__

Time to start the wheel of destiny.

"Unh" says the boy, trying to awaken.

"Welcome" says the woman.

Seifer opens his eyes, and immediately fixes onto hers.

__

(Balamb Pier – After Ultimecia)

Seifer Almasy watched the garden fly overhead. He smiles.

__

You did good Squall, he thought, _better than I ever expected. Well done man, and good luck._

Raijin comes up beside him, dripping with seawater. "You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go for a wander about town, I'll be back for nightime at the hotel."

"PLAN STILL ON?" asks Fujin, walking over to where Seifer is standing.

"Yeah. We're outta here tonight."

Seifer walks around, past the hotel and into the main street, ducking down an alleyway that he 'discovered' just after arriving here. _I'm a criminal_ he thinks to himself. _No doubt they'll be after me. Damn, I feel like Squall, thinking to myself too much._

He leans against the wall. _I must admit I've learned my lesson from you Squall, I just hope you'll forgive me…_ He smiles. "But that don't mean you're better than me" he says aloud.

__

…Black rain…

Huh? What was that? Seifer shakes his head a couple of times.

__

…He punches him in the face…

…He gets tripped up…

…What's that flash…

Seifer grabs his head. "Man! What a headache! Damn!"

"It'll pass in a few minutes," says a woman's voice.

Seifer wheels round, but not fast enough, as he only sees black as his attacker puts him into a deep sleep.

__

(Lunatic Pandora – Seifer's room)

"Who are you?" he asks, sounding a bit groggy.

"How are you?" the woman asks, not unpleasantly.

"I asked you first" he snaps, and sits up. Sits up? He thought he would have been tied down or something.

"Why would I want to do that?" asks the woman.

"You can read minds?"

"Anytime I wish" the woman smiles pleasantly at him.

Seifer studies her. She is fairly tall, and slimly built. She has reddish – black hair that comes down to just below her shoulders. She is wearing a dark …blood… red dress that goes down to her ankles. She dresses like Matron, Seifer thinks. The woman apparently doesn't appear to have heard.

"Going to answer my question?"

She looks at him. "My name Luic. Just Luic for now. I'll give you my name after, but until then, call me Luic."

"Did you put me to sleep? Did you bring me here?"

"Yes, and yes. I am sorry, but I need your help." She asks.

"Help?" Seifer asks suspiciously. "With what?"

"To get something back that belongs to me. Also, an associate of the person who is carrying this 'something' is also an associate of yours."

"What are you talking about?" All suspicion is gone from Seifer's voice, replaced by curiosity.

"Someone whom you term your rival."

"Squall?" he replies "what's he got to do with it?"

"Everything" Luic says, no longer smiling. "His associate has something of mine, like I told you. A girl. She is his girlfriend, and I understand she was once yours."

__

How does she know all this? He thinks, but instead he says aloud "Yeah, Rinoa. What do they have of yours anyway? Rinoa, I mean? She has nothing.. except… no, wait! That's impossible! You can't..!!"

Luic's eyes flash a peculiar yellow-blue colour. She raises her hand, and throws Seifer against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Poor Seifer" she bends down, and strokes his cheek. "Time to get you to work. I was going to tell you everything, from who I am, to what I can do, even how I'm fooling that idiot Odine and those stupid kids, but… maybe I will. Time for you to make it up to me losing what was mine in the first place, by helping me acquire it to begin with."

__

For those smart people out there, try and guess where I got the idea for her name from (Hint: read the last chapter for her 'first' name) and see if you can figure it out. I don't see myself as very clever, but I thought it was cool. If you get stumped, I'll include it in a chapter later on. Update after this soon! Promise!


	6. A Sorceress Instructors Manual

****

BLACK RAIN

Chapter 6 – A Sorceress Instruction Manual

The Ragnarok lands at FH, where the Garden is already docked. Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa are already waiting to be picked up. Quistis stands at the ramp entryway into the Ragnarok to say hello to her friends. As she does so, she senses something, a power, unnatural, inside the ship. She wraps a hand sround her whip, ready to defend herself. She senses nothing out of the ordinary. 

__

Sense? When was I able to do that? She thinks to herself.

As she gets the lift up to the cockpit, that 'power' sensation comes over her again. It isn't until she is in the cockpit itself that she realises where it's coming from. 

It's coming from Rinoa. She is sitting in the seat where the main gun is operated, but there is something different, _very_ different about her. Rinoa is softly radiating power, a gentle glow is surrounding her. The others, and especially, Rinoa, are acting as though it isn't there. She has a small feeling that she's the only one, besides Rinoa herself, who can feel it. Quistis takes a step back.

"What's wrong Quistis?" asks Selphie form the pilots seat.

"Oh? N..nothing, really" she replies as she sits down into the co-pilots seat. Irvine is snoozing away in the corner, hat over head_. They can't feel or see what's coming from Rinoa, s_he thinks. _Why? _She casts a glance back at Rinoa. Rinoa looks at her and smiles. A small jolt runs through Quistis' body, as though something has just been 'unlocked'. Rinoa's smile falters a little. 

__

She felt it too thinks Quistis. _I'll try to talk to her later_.

__

(4 hours later)

Selphie is quietly piloting the ship, which is now way over the ocean, following the horizon bridge to Esthar. Irvine is snoring quietly under his hat.

"Will you be OK, Selphie? I need to talk a walk" Quistis asks.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, go ahead, you know me" she smiles.

"Thanks." She gives Selphie a small hug and gets out of the seat. She walks up to Rinoa, who is looking out of the window, lost in her thoughts.

"Rinoa?" she asks quietly, a little too quiet perhaps but nonetheless, Rinoa looks up and smiles. Again… that…feeling…

"What's up? We there already?"

"No, ot's not that, do you want to go for a walk? I'm a bit bored, plus I want to ask you something."

"Umm sure." Rinoa somehow knew that Quistis was going to ask her a strange question on their walk. Rather than eading her mind and try to find out what it could be, she decided to wait. She got up and follows Quistis to the lift. As the lift descends, she speaks up.

"What's up?" she repeats.

Quistis stares at her. _Her voice… seems different_ she thinks. _It's like it's echoing, but I'm right next to her, Maybe not._

"Is it? Oh, I'm sorry" says Rinoa, reverting her voice to normal. But it's already normal. The lift stops. They walk on down the staris to the lower level. Quistis takes her arm.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I can read peoples minds. It's a sorceress' gift."

"Wow. Wish I could" Quistis giggles "then maybe I can see if the guy I go on a date with next time is 'up to scratch'"

Rinoa laughs. "hmm never thought of that. Remind me to try that next time Squall gets lost in his thoughts again."

Quistis laughs louder. Suddenly she stops. She faces Rinoa

"Have you been having any nightmares, ar strange visions, ar dreams lately?"

…She screams…

…The room shakes slightly…

…Rinoa!! Calm down!!!…

…Black…

…Eyes…Colour…

"No… not really. I did have this one dream where I was marrying Squall, but I forgor my dress." She laughs, trying to conceal her blushes.

Quistis also laughs. "Anything else?"

"No." Rinoa shakes her head.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Why? What's going on?"

Quistis is silent. _Why isn't Rinoa gettting them? Is it just me, Squall and Zell? Or are Irvine and Selphie getting them too? I'd better explain everything to her._

Rinoa listens as Qusitis tells her everything, from the dreams to the mission concerning Odine. Rinoa nods her head.

"Something inside me tells me that what you're experiencing is going to happen quite soon. She says.

Quistis' eyes widen. "Are you sure?"

"Yes". Rinoa cocks her head to one side, as if listening. "I don't know if it's just these powers, but you seem… different somehow. Are you the same? Are you OK?"

"What? What are you talking about? Speak for yourself.

"Don't worry about me"She smiles and holds her hands up. "Edea just gave me a few… ideas. That's all."

"Ideas? Like what?" Quistis was genuinely interested.

"Watch this. Oh, by the way, you may want to get right back."

Quistis took no time in doing what Rinoa just asked, and for good reason.

Rinoa goes and positions herself in the middle of the floor, and crosses her arms over her chest. Suddenly she throws thwm open, so they are outstretched at either side of her. There is a flash, and a pair of brilliant white wings appears behind her, sprouting from her back.

"Wh.." Quistis is speechless as she gazes at Rinoa, now hovering about a fot in the air. She radiates power, giving it off like intense heat from a fire. _Wow_, thinks Quistis, _she could destroy the world if she wanted._

"I could" Rinoa replied, reading her mind again. At least, she thought it was Rinoa. Her mouth did move with the words, but her voice was now so distorted to an event that Quistis had to really listen to hear Rinoas' voice' in amongst the others. "But Edea showed me to handle my power. As long as I don't unleash it when I'm emotionally unstable, it is mine to command." Pure blue sparks of energy crackle around her. Her hair is moving outward slightly, and is also a shade of blue. A strange white haze surrounds her. Rinoa lets her power drop, and she returns to normal. All Quistis can do is stare.

"I must admit, I was impressed myself." Rinoa smiles.

"Edea taught you that?"

"Uh-huh, and boy was it tough."

Quistis coughs nervously, "didn't look tough to me"

"Yeah? You think so?"

Rinoa explains what happened.

__

(Balamb Garden – Cid's office – Some time in the afternoon)

Rinoa is sitting crossed-legged on the floor. Her eyes closed, her hands clenched into fists, sitting on her knees.

Edea walks around her, a hand just over her head. Edea has changed, and energy flows around her. Her voice is still pleasant, despite the echo.

"You are a sorceress, child. A sorceress is both blessed and cursed. Blessed because of the power she has at her displsal. Cursed because she is basically no longer allowed to live a normal life."

Rinoa begins to float in mid-air. A white haze surrounds her. A set of white wings materialises from her back. The elder sorceress smiles.

"I see you have found it. The source."

__

Yes, Rinoa thinks, into Edea's mind. _It was difficult, but now I have found it._

Good. She replies, also telepathically_. Now you will always have this gift. Like I have, even though I lost the majoritory of my powers. Even if I lost them completely, I would still be able to do this. Use it well, along with all of you r other powers. But remember, always remember. Your emotions are the deciding factor. Your 'battery' so to speak._

Rinoa opens her eyes, now levitating without effort, her wings are transparent, but still noticeable. She let's them recede into her back, and stands up. She looks at edea, now also back to normal.

"Thank you Edea. May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"It's something I'm just curious about." Sayas Rinoa. "And it's this: has there ever been a 'sorcerer'? or has it always been women? I have Ultimecia's powers, who she herself inherited from those sorceresses of past and future, thanks to time compression. But from what I've 'established', a few of the past sorceress' spirits are telling me that Hyne was male. Is this true?"

Edea was surprised at her question. "Such a difficult question! I do not know myself, but legend has it that if you die abruptly, i.e get killed unjustly, the Great Hyne is supposed to be a 'watcher' of sorts. Someone who tells you what your situation is for dying. But he also decides wether to let you go back to the living to right that wrong, but at the same time, he is supposed to leave you the choice of wether you want to go back or not."

Rinoa is staring at the floor. Edea is watching her. Then she looks up, directly at Edea. Suddenly her eyes flash. They change colour, from her normal brown to a bluish-yellow, then they turn pure yellow.

Edea smiles. _She is finished_ she thinks inwardly.

"Welcome to the world of sorcery, child."

Rinoa smiles, listening perfectly to everything Edea tells her next, and also begins to teach her the various spells, techniques and enchantments that only sorceresses know.

__

(Back on Ragnarok)

"Very impressive" Quistis simply says.

"Like I said, it was tough" Rinoa grimaces "but now I'm used to it."

Quistis is silent. Lost in her thoughts.

"But anyway" Rinoa breaks her from them. "I'm going to say something to you Quistis, I don't know if it's true, but I just have a… gut feeling about this, so please don't laugh."

"I won't, unless it's something silly again. Let me guess, I'm a sorceress too, right? I wish." She starts to laugh, but the eerie silence from Rinoa quietens her fast. She looks at her. She looks very troubled.

"Rinoa? What's.."

"Hey! Watcha doing?" calls a voice from above. Irvine is standing on the upper railing.

"Not a lot" Rinoa calls back "Just talking you know, girls talk."

"So can I listen in then?" Irvine grinned stupidly.

"Go away Irvine" laughs Quistis shakily.

"So.. you don't want me to tell you we'll be landing in 30 minutes time then?"

"Oh! Really? Sorry, Irvine! Thanks a lot!" Quistis replies.

"See ya" Irvine tips his hat at them and leaves.

"Let's go Rinoa, we'll talk later." Quistis walks off, and goes up the stairs.

Rinoa stands alone for a minute. _You seem different, Quistis_ she thinks. _I don't know what, but I've never felt it before, and it only seems to be you. Selphie and Irvine are the same. Why are you…?_

Rinoa's eyes widen slightly.

__

No, it can't be, surely she would know? Or does she?

__


	7. The Last Briefing

****

BLACK RAIN

Chapter 7 – The Last Briefing

__

(Esthar – Airstation)

The Ragnarok arrives and lands without effort onto the Airstation. As they disembark, Rinoa spots Squall and Zell standing at the entrance to the station.

"Squall!" calls Rinoa, running over to him and hugging him tightly, not letting go until the others have caught up.

"Hi, Rinoa, nice to see you too," says Squall sounding slightly embarrassed. "Hey you guys, how you all doing?"

"Ready for ACTION!" yells Selphie, almost deafening Squall and Irvine, who are standing right next to her. Irvine laughs.

"I'm a bit deaf now, but fine"

"I'm OK" says Quistis. But Squall hears a slight uncertainty in her voice. He ignores it.

"Well, should we get going?" asks Zell.

"Yeah, let's go, we're going to the presidential palace"

"Are we going to see Laguna?" asks Selphie.

"Yeah" Zell answers "even though he didn't personally make the request for SeeD, the government did. But he will be there when the mission is explained."

"As long as they don't try to imprison me again, then that's OK" Rinoa says, laughing nervously.

"They won't. I'll make sure of that" replies Squall, almost immediately.

Rinoa smiles. _Thank you, my knight _she sends to him. Squall looks at her; uncertain as to how she did that.

"Maybe later" she whispers to him, moving closer and linking his arm with hers.

__

(Esthar – Presidential Palace)

The group, accompanied by an aide they met at the entrance, get off of the lift, and are led down to a room they have never seen before. A label on the door reads:

TACTICAL GUIDANCE AND COUNTERMEASURES ROOM

__

A war room, Squall thinks to himself. _Would it really come to something as drastic as war?_

"You may go inside, they are waiting for you," says the aide.

"Thank you" says Squall, and leads the others inside.

The room is vast, and very much decorated. Various paintings adorn the walls at both sides of the room, vast hangars depicting the Estharian flag hang from various points of the ceiling. A plush red carpet is beneath their feet.

The biggest item in the room by far is the table. A huge, oval-shaped wooden table that seemed to stretch forever. Squall studies the various people seated at the table. Various Esthar officials are sitting to the right of the table, and a number of Esthar generals are seated on the right. At the head of the table, sits, Laguna, Kiros to his right, and Ward to his left.

"Man, that's a lotta suits" whispers Zell to Squall. He silently agrees.

"Come in! Come in! Sit down!" says Laguna, motioning for them to come in. Squall walks up first, followed by the others. Rinoa comes in last, and upon doing so, a number of the officials flinch at the sight of her.

__

So, it was them, she thinks to herself, feeling a small surge of anger. _They're the ones who almost sealed me away forever_. She gives them a small smile, and seats herself next to Zell.

"Wow" says Laguna, "we ask for three SeeD's, and they send six. The best! Well, 5, but you know what I…" he shuts up, scratching his head. Kiros stands up, and walks over to them.

"Ok, ladies and gentlemen, let's get down to business."

__

They're not wasting time thinks Squall. _Oh well, saves us hanging around doing nothing_.

"As you know" Kiros continues "The Esthar government requested the help of SeeD for a particular reason. This reason is also your mission, and that is to hunt down and assassinate Dr Odine. Or, failing that, attempt to capture him, and bring him to us."

Everyone was silent as Kiros carried on. "Now, our last reports show that he is not in his laboratory. In fact, he has not been seen for a few days now. But there was no sign that he was taken by force, or had left in a hurry. We believe he left of his own free will, but wasn't alone."

"And that requires us?" asks Zell. "Look, no offence guys, but how come you can't do it? Don't get me wrong, but why us? What's so different about this mission that you guys can't handle it?"

"Be quiet," says Quistis, glaring at him.

"No, he has a point" Kiros says. "We hired you because you may have more than just Odine to contend with"

"Like what?" asks Irvine

"Take a look at this" Laguna speaks up. He presses a button under the table and suddenly a section of the wall behind him disappears. Revealing a perfect map of Esthar."

"Wow! Cool!" Selphie says.

Laguna also stands up. "We have reason to believe that Dr Odine went to Tears Point, and into the Lunatic Pandora, armed with a great deal of equipment from his lab, and a number of aides, also form his lab."

__

I knew it thinks Squall. Rinoa speaks up.

"How did he get into it from there? Is there a lift or something?"

"No, which makes it even stranger. The only way in is to fly there, like you guys did" replies Kiros.

"Then, how?" asks Quistis.

Laguna looks at the floor. "We don't know"

"What makes you think he's actually inside the Pandora?" Asks Squall "he could be inside Tears Point somewhere."

"Because of this" Laguna says, pressing another button under the desk. The map disappears, replaced by a series of photos. They depict a trail caused by a number of vehicles, travelling across the plains from the city toward Tears Point.

"From our spies" Kiros tells them. "As you can see, the trail leads to Tears Point. But look at these two pictures"

The last two pictures are indeed strange. The first picture shows the vehicles stopped, unloaded, and the various personnel, along with the doctor (easy to spot due to his ridiculous costume) and the equipment, standing at the entrance to Tears Point. But the other picture is even stranger; there is nothing there, except for the vehicles. Kiros explains

"From what our spy told us, a person appeared at the entrance, then there was a series of flashes, and everything was gone. He went to take a photo, but the camera wouldn't work, almost as if something was blocking it. But that's impossible, as our spy was a good 20 miles away." He hands them the original photos. Squall passes them to the others.

"Who's this 'person'?" Quistis asks, equally puzzled with the others.

They all shrug their shoulders. Rinoa, however, doesn't. She is studying the 'first' photo with interest.

"Something wrong Rinoa?" Squall asks. Rinoa ignores him.

"Rinoa?" Squall repeats.

"President Laguna" Rinoa speaks up. "Can you put this photo up by itself?"

"Um, OK" Laguna punches it up. Rinoa stand up and walks up to the picture, spooking the Estharian officials further.

"Don't worry guys, I'm not going to bite" she smiles at them, then turns her attention to the photo.

__

That person, she thinks. _I can't help but fell a presence form them. They're in this photo, but just barely_. She touches it with a finger, closing her eyes as she does so.

__

Yes, no doubt about it, I'm right. They had good reason to call us. She turns to the others, who area all watching her intently.

"You made a good call asking for SeeD's. Because that person is a sorceress."

Laguna and the others flinch "Are you sure Rinoa?" asks Squall.

"Very sure" she says "and a strong one at that. Also the reason they disappeared so fast, coupled by the fact that your spy says he saw a 'flash', was because she made a gate."

"A what?" Kiros asks.

"A gate of space" Rinoa continues. "Basically, a teleporter that only a sorceress can make. She moved the whole lot from this position at the entrance into the Pandora."

"Uh, Rinoa? Can we have the stupid version please?" asks Zell, thoroughly confused.

"A sorceress can travel anywhere in the world, instantaneously, just by opening this gate, and choosing the destination at the other end. And as long as it remains open, anything or anyone can pass through." She looks around the room. There is a look of fear on the Esthar officials and Generals. There is a look of worry on the SeeD's faces.

"Therefor" she continues, "she moved Odine, the equipment and his aides into the ship. That's why your spy's camera wouldn't work. The power she must have used to move such a vast load must have been unbelievable."

"This is great," says Laguna. "Not only Odine, but also a sorceress. Just great."

"It's simple," says Squall "we take her out as well."

Laguna and the others look at him. Normally he would have told them to stop staring, but this was too serious a matter to be concerned right now.

"Please explain," asks Kiros. Squall gets up and walks around the table.

"Well, if it involves Odine, then its bound to be dangerous." Squall sighs. "Now, here's the deal. Myself, Quistis and Zell will go ahead to Lunatic Pandora, and see what we can do. Irvine, Selphie, Rinoa, you guys, if its OK with you, Laguna, go ahead to Odine's lab, and search it, see if you can turn anything up."

"Sure they can" replies Laguna "but they'll be wasting their time, we've already searched twice over, and found nothing."

"We'll look anyway." Irvine chips in.

"What? Why?" Kiros looks at him

"A gut feeling" he replies, closing his eyes briefly

__

…A hidden safe…

…A blue folder…

"Very well" Kiros says, "we'll also see to it you are not disturbed"

"When do we start?" Squall asks, getting bored of all the talk.

"Whenever you are ready" replies Kiros. "Also, let us know. We will issue you with a special radio device. When you have completed your mission, radio us, then get out."

"Why?" Zell asks.

"As soon as you guys are done, we're going to launch a series of missiles at it, and destroy it."

"Why can't you do it now?" asks Selphie.

"They're… not ready yet" Kiros answers. Rinoa catches a hint of (something) in his voice.

"Ok. We'll go first thing tomorrow." Squall says

"Tomorrow?" Quistis turns to Squall. "Why tomorrow?"

"We have to have a meeting of our own."

Irvine catches on "Yeah sure, let's go."

"We must go. We'll carry out your mission." Squall nods to Kiros, Laguna and the officials.

"Don't worry, it will be done." He says. They leave closing the door behind them. A few minutes later, Laguna gets up.

"COM's Kiros, Ward, good luck guys. With everything."

Laguna also nods to his officials, and leaves.

"Yes" one of the generals says. "Now we know what were up against, we'll deploy the missiles as soon as possible, hopefully with both sorceresses inside. Three problems out at once. The two of them, and the doctor."

"What about the SeeD's?" asks another official. "What shall we say to garden?"

"Tell them there was an error with the launch device, or the radio device, and offer to compensate them. Easily explained away."

The other generals and officials nod their heads in agreement, all smiling together.


	8. The meeting of the minds

****

BLACK RAIN

Chapter 8 – The meeting of the minds

"We need to find a room where we can have some privacy," said Squall, as he led the others down the corridor, looking for a room that was empty.

"Why Squall?" asked Selphie who dashed up alongside him"

"From what Irvine said in there, I'm pretty certain that both he and you have also been having strange visions. Am I right?"

"Yeah" Selphie answered "both of us had…"

"Held each others hands, to get a better 'picture' so to speak?" Squall asked, cutting off Selphie.

"Yeah." She said quietly, watching as Squall stopped at a door that was ajar. He opened it further, peered inside, and then opened it fully. He motioned for the others to come in, then closed the door behind them. He walked over to where the others stood.

"OK" he said, breathing out heavily. "You all heard the briefing in there. Also I just heard from Selphie here that both she and Irvine have also been having visions of a situation yet to take place. Also, after hearing the briefing, I can only say for certain that this mission and the visions are linked together, though why we're experiencing them, I still don't know. But I think I have an idea as to how."

"Um, Squall?" Rinoa asks, cutting in "Quistis told me about these dreams you all seem to have, but I haven't experienced anything like it before. Not yet anyway"

Squall looked at her seriously, along with surprise. "Honestly? No visions at all?"

Rinoa shook her head "None."

"Have you tried holding someone's hands?"

"No" she answers "Is that how it worked for you guys?"

"No, because we were seeing things by ourselves to begin with, before we joined hands." Quistis said. "You could say that the other person acted as a 'receiver' and vice-versa for the other person"

"That's why we're here," said Squall. "I figure… that if we all stand in a circle and join hands, maybe we will be able to see all of the 'dream': witness it in it's entirety. We seem to be experiencing these visions at different periods, and from our own viewpoints. I think if we do this, we might be able to put it together, so to speak."

No one spoke. All of them nodded their heads in agreement. Within a few minutes, they were standing in a circle.

"OK" said Zell "Let's go."

They linked hands at the same time.

They all saw their respective visions. 

Selphie piloting the Ragnarok. 

Irvine inside the Ragnarok.

Zell outside, witnessing the explosion.

Rinoa again saw nothing, but she wasn't the only one.

Quistis also, for some reason, saw nothing this time, only blackness

Squall, however, saw something. Something else.

__

(The joined vision – Squall's POV) 

…The room is white. VERY white. A pure white. There seems to be nothing there, apart from three doors, in a triangle formation. In the middle there is a man, facing one of the doors, he is standing upright, his hands are behind his back, standing as if he is waiting for… something. Squall tries to study his features, but is suddenly pulled away, just as the man looks at him…

…The man moves his lips, as if speaking, but no sound comes out…

…Chance…second…if you choose…

…Suddenly he is inside the Lunatic Pandora. Dr Odine is there, fiddling with an instrument that is unknown to Squall. There is a machine nearby. It is about three feet tall, and with a helmet-style extension, as if it was designed to sit on someone's head…

…Bah…I wonder…receiving…images…if any?…

…There is a woman standing nearby, her back is to Squall…

…She turns around…

A spark with such ferocity rips through the group, flooring everyone apart from Quistis and Rinoa, who are still standing.

"What the…" Rinoa opens her eyes "are you all alright?"

"Damn!" Zell exclaims "that was SORE!"

The others give a thumbs-up.

"I still didn't see anything," says Rinoa. "But you guys certainly did. You were moving slightly, as if someone was trying to push you away, trying to separate you."

"I also didn't see anything, and I also felt it too." Quistis said, "did any of you see it?"

Irvine looked at her "Nothing? I though you saw a vision earlier."

Quistis turned to him. "I did, but this time I didn't"

"When was the last time you saw something?" he asked.

"Aboard the Ragnarok, before I picked you guys up."

"How? I saw my vision!" Zell said

"And me!" Selphie adds.

"Squall?" Irvine turns to him "what about you?"

Squall is staring at the floor. He looks up.

"I saw something… different."

They all stare at him, their eyes widen as he tells them what he saw.

"This seems to be getting worse," says Quistis "This man, the machine, the woman. Just what exactly are we up against?"

"We know the answer to the third one" answers Rinoa. "She is a sorceress, the man I don't know, but the machine, I hope it's not what I think it is."

"What?" asks Selphie "what do you think Rinoa?"

"That machine… could be the time machine Odine was talking about that time he gave us that briefing before we fought Adel. I don't know _how_ I know, but something inside me is telling me that that machine is the time machine he 'bragged' about building."

"And what of the three doors?" Irvine asks out loud. "You sure you cant remember anything else Squall?"

"I'm sure" he answers sternly "It.. the vision, or the person, wouldn't let me see his face, but I know he was a man." He took to staring at the floor again.

…Second chance…

"So, what do you wanna do?" asks Zell, looking around the room.

"What can we do?" answers Quistis almost immediately. "It seems, by the look of things, that we will go there and do this mission regardless of what we do."

__

(Lunatic Pandora – Seifer Cell)

She was done with Seifer. Done 'preparing' him.

"Now you know" she says to him "I trust I can rely on you now."

Seifer is standing there, straight up, arms at his sides. His eyes are blank, and are staring straight ahead, staring into nowhere.

"Yes, my sorceress" he replies "it will be done. I will remove the knight, leaving you to access the others." He spoke without emotion.

"Good" she says her smile suddenly falls. "Do not fail me Seifer. Unfortunately I do not know the outcome of your battle, but I know I win in the end. The wheel of destiny has already decided. This will be a stroke of good news for you."

Seifer says and does nothing.

"But for now. Rest. Prepare. They will be here soon."

She smiles at him again, before closing the door behind her.

She walks quietly across the corridor, stopping only briefly to examine the machine that two of the Doctor's assistants are working on. She nods at them, then proceeds through to the vast room that was once Adel's chamber. She walks over to the machine standing in the middle, not caring for the doctor right now, who is busy fiddling with some piece of equipment. She stands there, studying the machine, which is about three feet tall. There is a strange, helmet-shaped device extending out from it. She picks this up, and examines it. She is not amused when Dr Odine reaches up and grabs it out of her hand.

"Beg your forgiveness, Mistress Luic, but zat iz not ready yet."

"Not long now, I suppose?" she asks the scientist.

"No, it iz almost complete, but ze configurations are still ze wrong way round. I vill fix it last." He picks up another device, and begins to fiddle around with it also.

"Bah…but I wonder, if anyone is still receiving images? According to this they are.. if any?" he checks the readout. "Bet they're freaked out" he sniggers.

"Images?" Luic asks him, a hint of alarm in her voice "To whom? Who is receiving?"

"I don't know, zat is what I'm working on" he says gruffly.

__

Fool, she thinks oh well, maybe I can find out for myself, maybe I find out… later. She closes her eyes. Her mind is just about to 'travel' when suddenly, she opens them. Something tells her to turn around, as there is something there. She turns around. There is nothing. Now there isn't.

__

I could have sworn I felt something she muses_. Never mind. Everything is going as I have seen, no need to worry. The wheel of destiny cannot be changed._

(Esthar – Palace)

Squall and Rinoa are in a room by themselves, as everyone else has turned in for the night. Rinoa is seated at the end of the bed. Squall is sitting in a chair, hunched forward, staring at the carpet, and telling Rinoa about the visions he himself has been having, since they started that night on the balcony.

"So" she says after he is finished. "You and Seifer are fighting in the roof of Lunatic Pandora, though you don't know the outcome of the fight, or, more importantly, how you came to be there, on the roof in the first place."

"That's right" Squall replies But if what Quistis says is true, why bother thinking about it? It will happen eventually. The only thing that bothers me is the way Seifer looks."

"What do you mean?" She enquires/

"He didn't look… normal. Himself. Normally he has a 'cocky' way and look about him when he fights. But this was different. He looked psychotic, never mind cocky. He was fighting without mercy."

Rinoa looks at the floor, then at Squall. She is shocked to see a look of concern on his face. Almost worried. She jumped on this.

"You look worried. Is it bothering you this much?"

Squall looks straight at her and smiles. "Yes" he says in a dreamy fashion "So much, I don't know what to think anymore."

"How?" She asks further, dreading the answer.

"Because it feels that this battle may be the last one I take part in. And certainly between us."

This got Rinoa up. "Don't you say that!" she says, louder than she should have. "You get that thought out of your head right now!" she felt tears coming to her eyes. _Why am I crying?_ She thinks, _he's just saying that, he won't lose._ She tries to hold the tears back, but she can't and the tears roll down her cheeks.

"I…I'm sorry Rinoa" Says Squall, immediately positioning himself from his chair to in front of her. He kneels down and takes her hands in his. "You… you're right. I'm just being stupid. I'm sorry." He hugs her. 

"I'll be fine."

"No, I am sorry" she replies, no longer crying. She smiles, and kisses him.

Later that night, They are lying in bed. Rinoa was fast asleep, but Squall was not. He stares at the wall, all sorts of thoughts running through his head.

__

Get that though out of your head he thinks, recalling Rinoa's words, _if only I could_.

Rinoa moves and cuddles into Squall.

__

If only you knew Rinoa. If only you knew. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you. I was going to, but when I saw how upset you were, I changed my mind. I won't tell you now. It was about the ending of the fight. I don't know who wins, but then again, I don't think there is a winner.

He closes his eyes

__

That 'white light' I seen. It wasn't a spell, it was an explosion.

He falls asleep.

Rinoa opens her eyes.

__

Note: The way I am going with this, coupled with the way it is going to end, I'm making it into a two-part 'saga'. I hope you have enjoyed the story so far, and my apologies for the long delay to update. Remember – all CC and reviews welcome. Thank you.


	9. Wheels in Motion

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BLACK RAIN

Chapter 9 – Wheels in Motion

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(Esthar – Palace bedroom)

Rinoa blinked, then opened her eyes fully, letting them adjust to the light in the room, which was not much. She turned her head to the window, and saw Squall, standing there, looking out towards the horizon. He watched the sun, as it crept over the other buildings in the city, washing everything with a soft gold light.

"Morning" she says to him lightly, "Its fun lying next to you. I hope you weren't embarrassed, and you didn't mind… because we've only been going out…"

"No, its OK, Rinoa, " he replies, not turning around.

"I don't think you are now, though" she says to him slowly "I know your usually 'lost in thought' but this time you seem more… lost."

"You know me too well" he says lightly, "you're right, I am… I'm… just thinking about the mission, that's all."

Rinoa was half listening, half thinking, if she should tell him what she 'read' in his mind last night. She opted to press him for it, in the hope he might tell her straight out, to save her asking.

"Do you know what to do?" she asks him, getting out of the bed, and slipping her clothes on. "How are you going to get inside? Take the ship?"

"Actually" he answered, still looking out of the window, "I was wondering if you can make a gate to take us there, as it's the fastest way. Also, I feel that if we took the Ragnarok, they might see us coming. Odine and his 'lady' have been in there some time now, who knows what they've done to the place. Don't worry, as soon as you've sent us you can go back to your own mission."

"Umm OK" she says, "though I must admit, it will be my first 'proper' time I've done it. The only other time was when Edea taught me, and even then, I didn't send anything through." She bit her lip "But I'll try my best, to, you know, not transport you in front of an oncoming train" she giggled nervously. "Also, I don't need to go 'with' you, all you have to do is think of the destination, and the gate will open at the other end for you."

Squall finally turned around, looking at her. "I trust you Rinoa, I always will." He was slightly red when he said this.

Rinoa couldn't help it, she smiled at him. It was this sentence that drove all thoughts of telling him what she saw last night from her mind, trusting herself that he would be OK.

"Come on" he said, taking her hand gently "I said to the others we'll meet in the cafeteria."

The two of them found the cafeteria without any effort already open. As they walked in, their attention was immediately drawn to a table sitting in the corner, where they saw a huge pile of hotdogs sitting on a plate. Rinoa laughed quietly.

"Now I wonder whom… ha ha" she sniggered, and walked off to look at the menu.

Squall walked over to the hotdogs, and sat down. All he could make out was a pair of arms, and a tuft of blonde spiky hair above the pile.

"Hot dogs, for breakfast?" he asked half-heartedly.

Zell looked up, "Its goodm for mmee" he said, his mouth full of hot dog. He took a drink. "I said it's…"

"I heard you" he interrupted, as Rinoa walked over with 2 mugs of tea. Selphie and Irvine walked in, and walked over to where the others sat. 

"Hi everyone" said Selphie. Irvine didn't say anything, as he was promptly being swatted away by Zell for trying to steal a hot dog.

"Where's Quistis?" asked Selphie. She barely finished answering her question, when Quistis appeared

"Right here" she answers, seating herself. She looks around at the table of faces; all of them are expressing different emotions. Even Selphie has fallen silent, her usual cheery demeanour replaced by a stern look.

"You guys OK?" she asks. No one answers for a full 2 minutes. She repeats the question.

"Were fine, Quistis" Squall replies "Just thinking again, that's all. You know what to do, right?" he asks of Irvine, turning to him. "Because you're the captain of the squad, just be careful."

Irvine tips his hat at Squall. "Will do"

Squall stands up. "OK people, let's go."

As the group made their way to the elevator to take them out of the palace, a familiar voice calls them from behind.

"Hey" Wait up!" yells Laguna, Kiros and Ward flanking him.

"You all set?" he asks Squall. Kiros and Ward are a distance back from him, looking everywhere but at the group.

"Yes" answers Squall. "Were ready"

"Good. Now remember what we said, you get Odine, well do the rest."

"We will." Squall replies, then turns and walks away.

Laguna watches them go. "Good luck Squall" he says under his breath

Kiros walks up to him "I take it you didn't tell him, the truth? About who you?"

"No" replies Laguna, shaking his head "But I will, even if he comes back dead, I will."

Squall motions for the group to stop, once they are off the elevator.

"It's time," he says, turning around "Irvine Selphie, Rinoa, good luck" he smiles at Rinoa, so only she would see. "Rinoa, if you please…"

"If you please? You don't have to be so polite" she giggles "and only a smile? Now, that wont do" she smiles, walking up to him and kissing him. Squall tries to stop himself going red, but can't.

"I know your going to say something Irvine, so don't," he says sternly at the cowboy, whose mouth is half-open.

"Never crossed my mind" he grins at him wolfishly. Squall raises an eyebrow, but smirks back at him as well. Turning to Rinoa, he says, "are you ready?"

"Yes"

"Uh…Squall?" Zell asks, "what's she doing?"

"She's making a gate", says Quistis, answering immediately.

The entire group look at her.

"How did you know what I was going to do?" Rinoa asks her.

"I just knew" replies Quistis. "I just knew"

The others turn their attention back to Rinoa, but Rinoa continues to stare at Quistis. Then suddenly it hits her… a sensation… she was wrong before when she thought she felt this, but now…

"Rinoa? Hello?" Irvine calls to her, snapping her out of her stupor.

"Oh, sorry" she says, and raises her hand. She proceeds to move her hand, drawing an arc in mid air, until it touches the ground, outlining a gate in the middle. Then a white glow fills the space inside.

"That's it," she says to the others, her voice echoing slightly. "Just think of the destination, and you'll go there, only I can close it this end, or the other. I would give you a destination, but I can't remember what the Pandora looked like form inside. I made sure I forgot, after what happened."

"That's OK, " says Squall, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Ill go first. Quistis, Zell, think of the place where we entered with the Ragnarok the last time." He steps in to the glow. He turns and mouths something to Rinoa, before disappearing

__

I love you

Rinoa smiles as he vanishes, but as he does, she also feels a surge of… uncertainty, as if that was the last time she would see him.

"Me next" says Zell, who then promptly disappears.

"Me now" says Quistis, and she walks towards the glow. Rinoa stops her.

"Quistis I have to tell you something, about you" she says hastily.

"What is it?" she asks, but Rinoa doesn't get the chance to answer, as an unseen wind suddenly appears, shoving Quistis through. The gate vanishes.

"Quistis!" shouts Rinoa.

"What's wrong?" asks Selphie "has Quistis went somewhere else? Is she OK?"

"No" Rinoa replies, looking at the floor "Its just that I found out something, she had to be told."

"What? What?" Selphie pushes "what's wrong with her?"

Rinoa faces Irvine and Selphie

"Quistis is a sorceress."

__

(Squall mission – Lunatic Pandora)

The rushing sensation stops. Squall slams into the ground, feeling the cold metal of the Pandora. Looking back, he sees a perfect replica of the gate Rinoa made, as if it came with him. Looking beyond that, he sees the huge hole made by the Ragnarok the last time. His attention returns to the gate, when it shimmers slightly, as Zell comes tumbling through the gate, rolling headfirst onto the floor. He barely has time to stand up before Quistis comes flying through the gate also; crashing into Zell and making both of them hit the floor.

"Sheesh! Can't you adjust the speed or something?" Zell complains, as Quistis gets up, accidentally standing on his hand

"Oh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she gasps

"You OK?" Squall grabs her, to stop her falling "You look flushed."

"I'm fine… except" she brushes herself down with her hands. "I felt like I was pushed here, instead of stepping through."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asks Squall.

"Rinoa, she was about to tell me something, but then a … a force shoved me through. It felt like wind, but it was too strong and too fast to be that. Next thing I know, I'm here, and the gate is gone"

Sure enough, the gate was gone, like it wasn't there at all.

"As long as your OK" says Zell

"Yes, I'm fine" she says, but cant help thinking what Rinoa was going to tell her… about herself… no…_it cant have anything to do with what I felt on the ship with her is it?_ _I'm thinking silly things again…_

"So Squall, what now?" she asks him, snapping herself out of her daydream

"Now?" he looks over his shoulder at her as he unsheathes his gunblade.

"We do what we came here to do."

"Yeah!" shouts Zell, as he follows him, Quistis taking up the rear.

As Squall sets off, he can't shake his 'visions' from his head…

__

(Lunatic Pandora – 'Throne' room)

She had succeeded – just.

Luic slumps in her chair, breathing heavily, beads of sweat tiptoe down her brow. She reseats herself, then slowly opens her eyes.

__

That was close, too close, she thinks. _Something is wrong here… very wrong… why did I not see that part until just 5 minutes ago? Why did Rinoa use a gate? They were supposed to all arrive by ship… Rinoa almost told Quistis the truth about what she is…_

She grips the armrests of her chair tightly, still breathing heavily somewhat.

__

This is not going as I had foreseen, its almost as if there was another 'force' out there, trying to stop me, but Its not coming from either Rinoa or Quistis. In any case, Quistis still doesn't know, but Rinoa does now.. luckily, I stopped her from telling…

She closes here eyes again, wiping her forehead as well.

__

Hmmm. they're here. It is now time.

She steps up off her chair, and floats down towards the ground, off of the pedestal where Seifer stood before his last fight against Squall, when Adel was being revived. She lands quietly and with the same soundlessness, walks over towards Adels chamber.

As she enters, several aides stand to attention, some bow, except for Odine, who is busy muttering expletives under his breath. She allows her sorceress power to take over slightly. _Now its time_

"Problem, doctor?" she asks softly, hiding the echo her voice is making.

"Zis stupid machine!" he shouts, leveling a kick at it. "No matter how hard I tried, I just can't get this stupid thing to go back in time! It seems to be stuck, sending out only future images."

"Oh?" she asks, still softly, "any idea why?"

"No!" he answers gruffly. "It may take time to fix it, even if I did know what ze problem was."

"May I have a look?" she asks him

"You? Why? With all due respect my lady, you may not" he starts

"May I have a look?" she repeats, this time more fiercely.

"Yes, sorry, my lady" he backs off, scratching his head.

Luic crouches down, and locates a small chip that was concealed under the base of the machine. Now she was ready.

"Is it fully operational?" she purrs, not turning around.

"Yes" he replies "It can send people through time. Except for ze 'future' problem, it is working perfectly."

"Good" she replies, standing up. "By the way, I've located the problem"

"You have?" he asks, open-mouthed. "Well? What was it?"

"One word… me"

she replies. As she does so, she raises her hand, points it at Odines chest, and a bolt of power surges from her fingers, blasting the doctor to the floor. Odine hits the floor, his mouth still open, dead.

"Me" she repeats, almost lazily, raising her hand above her head. Her hand explodes with a spell, and everyone in the room save herself is blasted apart, not leaving a trace behind. She puts down her hand, and walks over to the body of Odine, whom she left out of her second blast.

"Poor, poor scientist, and I thought you people were brilliant at 'figuring things out'. Surely you should have figured it out by now.. who I am. But thank you anyway. I'm sorry you didn't locate the chip, as it was easy to find. No wait! I made sure you couldn't…"

A door opens behind her, she turns and looks as the gunblade-weilding warrior walks towards her.

"Are you ready? my Knight?"

A pair of green eyes, exceedingly bright, not blinking, moves in a 'yes' fashion with the rest of the head they're set into.

"Yes" replies Seifer. "I will deal with him."

"Good, ill deal with the others." She smiles at him. He doesn't return the smile.

"It is time, my knight, the wheel is beginning to turn."


	10. Visions Played Out

****

BLACK RAIN

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Disclaimer (Which I really REALLY need to start putting at the start of each chap…) – oh yesAs you know, I, like yourselves, we don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

"Time is like water – it always flows – it never stops" RL

Chapter 10 – Visions Played Out

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(Lunatic Pandora – Squall/Quistis/Zell)

They stormed through the first passageway leading for the lift. Monsters flew everywhere, as they were chopped up, punched into oblivion or spirited away into non-existence. And as they reached the lift, Squall turned to the others.

" Keep close, follow me. I know the way." He says to them.

"How could we forget this place?" Zell asks, bringing a smile to Quistis lips.

"It doesn't matter" replies Squall "we wont be long in here anyway. And after that, we can forget about it because this place wont be standing once we're done."

The lift arrives. Squall presses the button, then falls silent, as the lift makes its shaky way upwards.

"Yo Squall, what about the sorceress that's here" asks Zell, "what should we do about her?"

Squall doesn't answer at first "nothing, yet were here to get Odine, if we run into her, then we take her out, but only if she tries to stop us. We've no idea how powerful she is, so she may cause a problem. We'll try to get to Odine without having to fight her. If not, then we'll have no choice."

"Ok man, I wonder who she is? Wonder how strong she is too?"

Squall doesn't reply. _I wonder myself _he thinks. _Odine is here, building a machine of sorts; a sorceress is here also… I hope it's not what I think it is, and what was Rinoa wanting to say to Quistis?_

He is broken from his thoughts by the soft 'ping' of the lift doors. The three of them disembark, and fight their way to the next lift.

__

(Esthar City – Irvine/Selphie/Rinoa)

"What do you mean, Quistis is a sorceress?" Irvine asks Rinoa, staring at her.

Rinoa frowns. "Exactly what I said."

Selphie grabs her arm. "How can you tell? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I can tell because it's a sorceress gift I have. Sorceresses can 'feel' the presence of another sorceress because of their power. And yes, I'm sure."

Irvine shakes his head. "She would know if she was, and she would tell us."

"Not necessarily" Rinoa also shakes her head. "She might not know. And if she does, she might not want to tell us for fear of what we might say or do. I know, because you should have seen the look on Squalls face, when he found out I was a sorceress, he didn't know what to do." She looks at both of them. "I have to tell her."

"I don't think you should" Irvine says to her.

"Why not?"

"It might be too much for her. Also, she's in the middle of a mission. Telling her something like this might put her off, or distract her."

"She has to know!" Rinoa snaps at him "they're going to fight a sorceress up there. She might be too powerful for them, and it might have to take a sorceress to defeat her! Oh Hyne!" she yells, suddenly throwing her arm up. A gate forms in front of her.

"Where are you going?" Selphie shouts at her

"It might be a risk, but she has to know, I have to tell her, because if she doesn't, and she gets emotional, her powers might get released, and she wont know how to control them." As she says this, she desperately tries to remember the spot Squall spoke of in the Lunatic Pandora. Finally she remembers. She turns back to the others.

"I'm sorry if you think I'm doing the wrong thing, but I feel she has to know, for her own safety, never mind ours."

Selphie nods her head. "OK Rinoa, good luck."

Irvine nods his head also "OK, just look after her, and yourself also."

"I will," she says, smiling. She steps into the gate and vanishes. So does the gate.

"Come on Selphie, let's go."

The two of them run to the lifter, which will take them to Odines lab.

__

(Lunatic Pandora – Rinoa)

She lands softly on her feet as she appears. Glancing round, she realises that she was spot on with her gate, which promptly closes behind her. She turns and runs to where Squall and the others went, fixing on to the small 'power' that belongs to Quistis. She makes it to the lift with little event. She closes her eyes as the lift ascends.

__

She doesn't _know, oh Hyne, I hope she doesn't get distressed or angry and let loose. Because she's powerful, damn powerful…_

(Lunatic Pandora - Squall/Quistis/Zell)

Squall smiles slightly as LionHeart slices an iron giant in two, the halves hitting the ground with a satisfying clunk. They enter the lift, which travels upwards further.

"De ja vu huh?" Zell asks lightly.

"Yes, indeed" Quistis replies. "Are you sure this is the way Squall?"

"Really sure, thanks to you" he says

"Me? How?"

"What you told us about your vision. The room you described sounded very much like where we fought Adel" he answers.

"Oh, I see" she smiles "like Zell said, de ja vu"

Squall doesn't reply, staring at the floor in silence.

"Ready guys?" asks Quistis, breaking the silence.

"Yep Kick ass time" Zell grins. "And ill take care of the radio business too, Ill tell Esthar to let rip once were done."

"Wait until we get out of here altogether first." Squall says, not looking up.

"Why? They'll take a while to get here, by that time well be long…"

"Just do it that way" Squall interrupts.

"You OK man?" Zell asks him.

"Just fine… Zell"

He is spared further questions as the lift stops, and the doors open.

"Here we go, watch yourselves" Squall warns as they disembark.

"Will do," says Quistis.

"And here. Man, this place gives me the creeps." Zell mutters at the back.

__

(Lunatic Pandora - Rinoa)

The lift stops.

"Please, let me catch them" she says to herself, as she steps over the bodies of dead monsters, taking out the odd stray with her Shooting Star. She presses the button, but must wait, as the lift is already gone.

"Come on, come on…"

She is broken from her mutterings as a sensation runs through her.

"That feeling… no it cant be" she sys quietly "I've felt that power before from somewhere before, but not as strong, but it cant be. No!"

Her eyes widen as she realises who it is.

__

(Lunatic Pandora - Squall/Quistis/Zell)

A huge robot descends down on top of them, knocking Zell down, and almost decapitating Squall. They immediately take up battle positions.

"A mobile type 9?" Zell gasps, jumping to his feet and registering the large '9' on the machines chest.

"Seems like it" Squall says and charges the machine. Two probes detach themselves from the body, and a laser links the two together. They both fly at Squall. Squall dives over the probes and proceeds to run at the body with his sword. He whacks the machine with his sword, and a blue flash emanates from it.

"Damn Protect" Squall curses as the machine, with unknown speed, suddenly follows him. A bolt of lightning appears from nowhere, thudding into the ground in front of him. Squall barely has time to register as the body bears down on him, brandishing a whip from the base.

The probes charge Zell and Quistis. Zell, using haste on himself, manages to run behind one of the probes, and grabs it. A well-placed fist pierces the shell, and it fizzles to the floor, cutting the laser off. The probe falls to the floor with a satisfying thud.

"One down!" he yells, and is promptly silenced as a thunder bolt slams into the floor in front of him. He dodges as another attempts to hit him.

Quistis grabs her whip and manages to wrap it around the other probe. She tugs the whip downward and the probe slams into the ground, breaking in half. She recoils her whip and attempts to help Squall, but she too is stopped in her tracks as a bolt of lightning grazes her shoulder, hitting the ground in front of her. As she too dodges, she feels a sensation, telling her to look up. She wheels round and looks up. But barely has time to as another bolt keeps her moving. She manages to notice a woman standing on the platform above her, arm outstretched at them.

Squall blocks the machines whip attacks with ease, LionHeart stopping each successful lash. Suddenly he rolls forward, diving under the machine. As he flips up, he points his sword upwards, and drives it into the back of the machine. He rips out his sword and watches as the machine falls to the ground; black plumes of smoke billowing out of its back. Another bolt of lightning hits the ground in front of him. He looks up, and sees a woman running through a door to the next room. Adels chamber. Quistis and Zell come over to him.

"Take it its that way huh?" Zell asks, out of breath.

"Seems like it" he says, "and that seems to be our sorceress."

"It was" Quistis says, "It most certainly was."

"What now?" Zell asks.

"Like I said before" Squall turns to Zell. "She tried to stop us. Looks like she knows we're here, we have to fight it seems."

Squall leads as they take the ladders leading up to the higher level.

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(Lunatic Pandora – Rinoa)

Rinoa gets out of the lift, running as fast as she can. 

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Ultimecia, that power. I sensed it was Ultimecia. Oh Hyne, how? She's here now?

She bursts through the doors and spots the smoking remains of the robot. She senses Quistis, and looks up. She sees Zell running through the door.

(Esthar – Odines Lab – Irvine/Selphie)

The 2 SeeD's burst into the lab. The lab is a mess, as if it was ransacked before. There are spaces on the floor where equipment once stood. Empty shelves and toolboxes, along with a great deal of paper, litter the floor.

"OK Sef" says Irvine "we're trying to find a safe, anything that looks like a safe. I don't know where though, just what's inside it."

"OK then, we search the quick way" she smiles at him. Irvine rolls his eyes.

"Alright Selphie, go ahead" he says, smiling back.

She smiles again, this time it is spiked with mischief. She casts a tornado in the room. The spell rips everything not tied down into the air. Paintings and cabinets fly from the walls, leaving holes where they once stood, except for one.

"There!" he shouts, "There it is!"

Selphie cancels the spell, and everything crashes to the ground. They both dash over to where the safe is, which is embedded in a wall.

"How do we open it? We don't know the combination," Selphie asks, as she examines it.

"Easy, this is my department" he says, grinning. He reaches into his coat pocket, and pulls out a bullet. A small 'AP' is etched on the side of it. "Stand back" he says. Selphie backs away.

Irvine steps back too, loads the bullet, and takes aim. He fires a shot directly into the centre of the safe. After a few minutes, the door falls off, and lands on the floor.

"Easy" he says, blowing the smoke away from the gun barrel. Selphie walks up to the safe and pulls out a folder. A blue folder.

"Creepy" says Irvine, taking the folder and setting it on a nearby table. He opens the folder, and flicks through the pages. Selphie stares at it in horror.

"What is it?" he asks, noticing the look on her face.

"This folder, they're plans. A design." 

"For what?"

"Look" Selphie says, turning to the first page. Irvine reads the title

JUNCTION MACHINE ELLONE

"And these are the plans for it" she explains. As they turn the pages, they read parts of it describing as it to be about 3 foot high, with an extension to be attached to the head.

"Look at that." Irvine points to a graph. "I ain't no scientist, but that looks like…"

"Ellones brain pattern." Selphie finishes for him.

"Oh man" says Irvine, "you think he's building it?"

"No," Selphie says quietly, "already built."

"How do you know?"

"Look at the dates"

Irvine looks at the timetable that takes up a whole page. Even with all the dates, it's easy to spot.

The machine was being built before they fought Ultimecia.

"We have to go," he says quickly.

"Where?"

"To the Lunatic Pandora, to tell the others."

"Why? Shouldn't we hand this in first?" She says, following him out of the lab.

"No, well keep it for now." He tucks the folder into his coat. "We'll take the ship. If we're quick enough, we should get there before things get nasty. I have a bad feeling about this"

"OK, lets go." Selphie says, closing the subject.

As Irvine runs towards the lift, an image flashes before his eyes

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White light

Hope you liked the chapter; ill add the next one soon… All reviews /C/Comments appreciated (especially a critic one, as it's the best way to improve)

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	11. The Black Rain Falls

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BLACK RAIN

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As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

"Its supposed to be said that if you dream the same dream twice, it will come true" – Unknown Source

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Chapter 11 – The Black Rain Falls

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(Lunatic Pandora – Squall/Quistis/Zell)

Squall and the others come to a stop outside the doors leading into Adel's chamber. They stand there for a moment, then as one open the door. They run inside. Quistis eyes open in shock at the sight.

There are bodies all over the place, dressed in white coats that suggest they were scientists. At the far end of the room, another body lies on the ground; the ridiculous round red and white neckpiece makes it easy for them to recognise it as Dr Odine. Just behind him, sits an extraordinary machine, about three-foot tall, with an attachment designed to sit on the head.

"Dr Odine!" Quistis shouts, and begins to run over to the prone figure. She is stopped in her tracks by a blast from above, as a woman descends on the party. Squall immediately draws his gunblade, and observes the woman. She is fairly tall, and has reddish-black hair, that comes down to just below her shoulders. She is wearing a dark red dress that goes all the way down to her ankles. The woman lands softly on the ground, then looks around, first at Odine, then at Quistis.

"So, you still don't know, good" she says quietly, then she looks up. "Ah, the boy with the scar and...." she looks at Zell, her facial expression falters

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What is this? She thinks to herself. _Why is he here?_ _Where is Rinoa? Oh_, she smiles slightly, _she's coming_

"What happened top the doctor?" Squall asks the woman, hatred in his voice.

She looks at him. "What does it look like you idiot?" she says sarcastically_._

Quistis back up, moving backwards until she stands beside Squall. _She seems familiar_ she thinks, _as if I know her from somewhere, as if I've seen her before._

The woman looks at Quistis, and smiles at her.

"Why did you kill him?" Asks Squall, the anger in his voice.

"He has fulfilled his purpose. He is no longer any use to me."

"Is that so?" Squall replies, his eyes narrowing. The woman smiles more broadly.

"Who are you?" he asks her.

"As if I'm going to tell you that" she says, looking at Quistis again. "She knows, at least, she thinks she knows."

"I know!" says a voice from behind them.

They all turn in time to see Rinoa standing at the doors.

"Ah, we have a guest, it's about time." Says the woman. "Yes, I know you know me, then why don't you fill in your stupid little friends, as I'm not interested in them. Its just _you_." she says the last word differently. An echo coming from her voice. "I want what's mine."

Rinoa also echoes as she speaks. "You're not getting your power back, Ultimecia. Ill see to that."

The others stare at Rinoa, their mouths open. Rinoa walks forward, and stands in front of Squall.

"Get out of here, Squall, and radio in Esthar. Do it" she says.

"They're not going anywhere" Ultimecia spits, her power rising more. "As a matter of fact, you can't go anywhere, as the wheel of destiny is still turning. Ill start with you, Squall Leonhart."

She raises her hand, and a door appears behind her. A boy, wearing a white trenchcoat walks forward and positions himself just in front of her. Squall's eyes widen slightly, as he stares at Seifer. Seifer, his eyes a blazing green, stare right back, not blinking once.

"Seifer! No!" she shouts.

Ultimecia smirks "I've seen to it that he obeys his sorceress, like the knight he always wanted to be." Her smile fades away. "Like I said Squall, you're first. You, Rinoa, have your knight, as I have mine. Oh, I do apologise if he is responsible for your death" she smiles, and her hand flies outward. Squall is suddenly dragged along the ground toward Seifer. Ultimecia raises her other hand, and a white arch engulfs the two of them. She snaps her fingers, and they both vanish.

"What have you done?" yells Rinoa, her voice higher than ever. "Bring him back!" Quistis and Zell back off slightly, as Rinoas power begins to crackle around her. White wings extend from her back.

"One down" she says quietly, turning her attention to Rinoa. "Now, Rinoa Heartilly, time to give me back what is mine."

Rinoa can't help herself. "NEVER!" she screams, her energy begins to crackle more loudly, a wind surrounds her.

"That's it" says Ultimecia softly, "let it out."

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(Squall Vs the nightmare)

Squall flies out of the arc, landing on his feet. Seifer follows suit, and stands with his back to him. Black clouds form over their heads, and a soft rain begins to fall, but slowly but surely begins to get harder.

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Its happening… thinks Squall. _It's finally happening. Just as I saw it. _He watches Seifer intently_. _Seifer looks over his shoulder at him. His eyes psychotic looking_. But all I saw was parts of the fight, I don't know who wins. Guess I'll find out._

Squall watches as a bolt of lightning cracks overhead. Squall looks at his hand, where raindrops are hitting it. 

The rain turns black.

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(Quistis VS the nightmare)

Quistis steps back further with Zell, staring in horror at Rinoa powers up further. Her wings glow a brilliant white colour as she gets stronger. Ultimecia too powers up, her wings an evil looking grey colour. Quistis suddenly remembers her vision.

"Rinoa! Don't! Don't get angry!" she yells. Rinoa screams again.

"Can you hear me?" she yells louder, as Ultimecia laughs. Lightning, a strange colour of red begins to swirl around her. Rinoas hair is almost standing on end. Quistis eyes widen as Rinoas wings begin to change colour.. no longer white, they are a steel-coloured grey, not as dark as Ultimecias, but not too far off either.

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Help her says a voice. _You can stop her_

Quistis stares blankly in no particular direction.

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Who said that? She thinks, _how can I help her?_

Power up yourself, you're a sorceress too.

Quistis stares at the floor in disbelief… only recently she was thinking that… but now…

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Who is this? She thinks frantically, but thinks no more as a bolt slams into her, knocking her unconscious. The last thing she notices is the look of concern on Rinoas face, and the look of horror on Ultimecias face.

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(Rinoa)

Rinoa watches Quistis fall to the floor. She drops her power immediately, a look of concern on her face.. She yells one last time, before launching herself at Ultimecia. She registers a look of horror on her face, but she quickly comes to and takes off to the air, barely dodging Rinoa. Rinoa, with only the speed a sorceress has, takes off also, Ultimecia is not as quick, but still manages to dive away. Rinoa stops, and looks at Zell. 

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Zell, she thinks to him. _Take Quistis and get out of here, ill make a gate for you, you have to think of the place though, because Ill be busy keeping Ultimecia at bay. Radio Esthar. Tell them what happened._

"What about you? and Squall?" he shouts. Ultimecia stares at him.

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Don't worry about me! She yells forcefully into his head. _GO!_

Zell obeys, slinging Quistis over his shoulder.

"Where the hell do you think your going?" asks Ultimecia in a mocking voice. She is quickly shut up as Rinoas Shooting Star slams into her, knocking her for six. A blue flash surrounds her, thanks to protect.

Rinoa uses this distraction to hastily make a gate for him. GO! She yells again. Zell flies through the gate and it vanishes. A split second later a flare spell smashes into the ground. She is sent flying again as Rinoa uses a flare spell of her own to smash into Ultimecia.

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NO! Ultimecia thinks to herself, as she picks herself up. _How? How is this happening? This is different from what I saw, and who told Quistis she was a sorceress? NO! this cant be happening!._

Rinoa lands and watches as Ultimecia screams herself.

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(Zell/Quistis)

Zell flies through the gate, and lands with a heavy thud outside. He sprawls into the dirt, Quistis falling limply to the ground also. He gets up and quickly sees to Quistis. He then turns and looks at his surroundings. He is standing on a hill, a good distance away from the Lunatic Pandora. A huge black circular cloud rings the roof, lightning flashing from it, a strange coloured rain coming from it.

He quickly grabs the radio from his back pocket.

"Hello? Hello? Is that Esthar? This is Zell of SeeD!.. repeat"

"Go ahead SeeD," says a voice from the other side.

Zell breathes a huge sigh of relief, then quickly explains what has happened.

"So the doctor is dead, and the sorceress is inside?" the voice asks.

"Yes, but.."

"Is the other sorceress still there also?" the voice asks calmly.

"Yes! Along with…"

"The missiles will be deployed now. The Pandora along with everything in it will be destroyed." The radio falls silent, as if it was switched off at the other end.

"Hello? Hello?" Zell yells. He looks at the dead radio, then lets it fall to the floor.

The Esthar general shuts off the radio.

"Its time, gentlemen. Deploy the missiles" he says.

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(Squall)

Squall dodges as Seifer charges him, his sword scraping along the roof of the Pandora. He swings it up then back down with astonishing speed, the sword clanging heavily on the surface as it misses its target. With the same speed and accuracy, Seifer flies at Squall. Squall reacts just in time as his own blade blocks Seifers. Squall then attacks, sending Seifer back, he takes this opportunity to jump back a bit himself, to give himself a gap between himself and his opponent.

"You don't have to do this Seifer" Says Squall. "I don't know what Ultimecias done to you, but you can fight it. This doesn't have to happen."

Seifer appears not to hear. He charges again. This time Squall is ready for him. The blades clash, a sound like thunder booms from them as they collide. Seifers eyes don't move, neither do they blink, or show anything as they fix onto Squalls.

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He's not himself Squall thinks quickly, dodging backwards again from him. _What's up with him. He's not his usual cocky self. He's like… a robot._

Squall decides offence is the best defence, and charges Seifer himself. Seifer simply moves his blade in time to Squalls, so block his attack. Squall then levels a kick at Seifer, which slams into his stomach. Seifer is sent falling to the ground, landing on his back.

Out of nowhere, Seifer flips back up and attacks Squall with such ferocity that Squall is barely able to stand each time a blow is dealt. Suddenly Seifer swipes Squalls sword out of the way and punches him in the face. Squall falls to the ground, but not before using his legs to send Seifer down with him. He grabs his sword and jumps up. Seifer follows suit. His bright green eyes never leaving Squalls grey ones.

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I have to try to end this, as it doesn't look like I'm getting through to him, He thinks to himself. At this, he runs at Seifer, who also charges. Both blades clash again and again, with various degrees of noise and ferocity. Squall, although the one with better experience, is just able to keep up with the blows of the stronger–bodied Seifer. He grips his gunblade with both hands tightly as Seifer rains blows on him. He uses all of his techniques coupled with his speed to try to wear Seifer down, but it seems to have no effect. Seifer continues his assault, and Squall finds himself being pushed to the edge of the roof. The black rain is coming down in sheets now, making the surface like a swimming pool.

Seifer attempts to kick him, but Squall dives to the side, spiralling round with his sword outstretched. He cuts open Seifers left side. A steady stream of blood travels down his ripped coat, turning the coat a horrible red colour. Seifer staggers and looks down at the wound.

Seifer turns slightly and removes the coat. He tosses it over the side, and picks his gunblade back up. Just like in Squalls vision, he hold the gunblade with both hands now, leaning forward slightly and to the left, to try to stop the flow. His eyes, still glowing, never leave Squall.

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(Rinoa)

Rinoa dodges Ultimecias assault, any that hit her are immediately bounced off her thanks to reflect. Ultimecia has to dodge also as her own spells fly back at her. She curses and casts dispel. Rinoa feels her shield breaking and flies at her. With her speed, which is faster than Ultimecia, she rounds her and thuds into her back. Ultimecia crashes to the floor.

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(Esthar – Laguna)

From their housing at the edge of the city, 6 missiles are deployed, and scream off over the city. The residents look up as 6 white vapour trails fly overhead, with uncanny speed towards the Lunatic Pandora.

Laguna, in a car heading towards the Sorceress Memorial, looks out his window as the missiles fly past.

"What the hell?" he yells "what's going on?"

"One of the SeeDs must have radioed in " says Kiros. "Obviously they are finished with their mission."

"No! I mean the missiles! I'm the only one who has the codes!" he yells louder. "Get me to the Lunatic Pandora now!".

Kiros stamps down on the accelerator as the car heads for Tears Point.

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(Irvine/Selphie VS the nightmare)

The Ragnarok flies towards the Lunatic Pandora. The black ring-cloud clearly as visible as the structure itself. The ship shakes violently as the rain bears down on it. 

"Man, look at this!" Says Irvine.

A beeping noise catches Selphies attention.

"there's something behind us, moving fast… " she cuts herself off.

"What is it?"

"I think it's the missiles, there's six of them" she says quickly. She gasps "it is!"

"How far?" asks Irvine, looking ahead at the black clouds.

"Still a fair distance, but they're faster than we are."

Irvine looks down at her.

"Floor it Selphie, fast as you can, and head for the roof."

"The roof?" Why?"

"Squalls up there" he says to her.

Selphie glances up at him. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah" Irvine says, nodding his head. "Very sure."

"There they are!" Selphie yells, and begins to make the ship go round the roof in a circle.

"I'm on it!" yells Irvine.

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(Squall)

Squall has to block with all of his strength. The injury sustained to Seifer was supposed to slow him down, but now he came at Squall even harder, thanks to his two handed grip that he was now employing. Squall dives out of the way, but not before Seifer scythes his sword down his shoulder. He holds back the pain and swings up at Seifer. Seifer wheels round and blocks it in time, his cut is clearly visible in his waist, blood pours from it. Seifer wheels round further, gets behind Squall, and kicks him hard in the back, Squall falls to the floor, LoinHeart skidding out of the way. Abandoning all attempts at a strategy, he lunges at Seifer, bashing into his waist. Seifer drops Hyperion as the two of them crash onto the ground again. They roll about, getting soaked in the process, blood form both their injuries spatter the ground along with the rain. He looks up as a huge ship begins to circle them.

Squall notices LionHeart not far away. Seifer is on top of him. He uses his legs to knock Seifer to the floor. He dives for the gunblade as he hears Seifer run at him. He grabs it and spins round, expecting Seifer to stop.

He doesn't.

Seifer, not knowing, runs straight into the sword. Hid weight only makes matters worse at it drives into his stomach. He stops, his eyes still on Squall, whose left arm has now went dead. Squall looks at him, and notices that Seifers eyes are no longer bright.

Seifer blinks. He looks down at the sword, 1 third of which is embedded into his stomach. He looks up at Squall, whose shoulder is bleeding profusely, several bruises mark his face, along with blood from his mouth. Seifer himself coughs up blood. And with one last look at Squall, utters two words. The rain seems to go quiet as he says them.

"I'm sorry."

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(Rinoa – the end)

Rinoa, her anger beginning to take back over, uses her Shooting Star again to distract Ultimecia. Ultimecia falls for it, swiping the weapon out of the way, but is sent to the floor again by another spell.

"Stupid girl! You're going to…"

She breaks off, remaining still. A look of uncertainty coupled with fear shows on her face.

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What's up with her thinks Rinoa, then she too feels it. Something coming in fast. She turns away slightly. _It's the missiles_.

She is suddenly sent sprawling to the floor by a blast from Ultimecia. Her last sight she makes out is Ultimecia limping over to the machine, somehow unscathed form the fight. A huge white arc surrounds both her and the machine.

Rinoa too raises her hand, and a gate forms in front of her. Still groggy, she makes her way towards it.

A huge deafening roar and a flash of white light engulfs the room…

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(Irvine – the end)

Irvine Pelts from the cockpit towards the rampway, grabbing a piece of long rope form one of the holdings, he ties it round the pole, then around his waist. He thumps the ramp release button, and is knocked to his feet by the blast of wind. Slowly he begins to crawl down the ramp.

"Squall!!!" he screams at him.

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(Squall – the end)

Squall stands over the body of Seifer, who is lying on his back. He is still alive. Seifer simply stares back up at him. A horrible feeling seeps into his stomach.

"Squall!!!" screams a voice from above. Squall looks up and spots Irvine lying on the rampway, his arms outstretched.

"Come on!" he yells at him. Squall looks down at Seifer. Seifer blinks, and moves his head towards the ship. Squall follows, and spots six white streaks flying towards him. Wasting no time, he tries to pick up Seifer, but Seifer hits him hard, and he falls down again. Squall looks at him. Seifer shakes his head.

Squall looks at him one last time, then runs towards the ship. His arm is hurting badly now, he yells out in pain as he flings both hands forward, outstretched, towards Irvine.

He barely recognises grabbing something as a blinding white light engulfs him and Irvine…

Then silence

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(Selphie – the end)

Selphie screams at Irvine. And watches as he tears from the room. She then tries to position the ship in a way that will allow her to reverse towards the roof of the Pandora. She spots six white streaks coming straight at her, but they pass under her. A huge bang surrounds the ship, followed by a white light.

The last thing she remembers is the ship spiralling out of control…

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(Zell – the end)

Zell looks down at Quistis.

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But, when I saw my vision, there was someone else here too.

He turns around as a car pulls up. Laguna gets out.

"What's happened?" he shouts, his face white "What's going on?"

Zell turns back to the Pandora, and watches as the Ragnarok circles the roof. It stops then attempts to go backwards towards the structure.

"NO!" he screams as six white streaks appear and thud into the side of the structure. Zell still screams as a massive bang emanates form the middle of the Pandora. A huge white light engulfs everything around it. He watches with horror as the Ragnarok is sent spiralling away form the explosion, also on fire. The huge structure tilts to one side, then crashes downward into Tears Point, which also explodes.

Zell falls to the ground, tears racing down his cheeks. He looks up to see the horrified face of Laguna.

"W – What happened? Why?" he asks him.

"Our dreams came true."

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This is by far the BIGGEST chapter of the lot. Also I'm hoping that it ties up nicely with their visions that they experienced. I took a lot of time with the fight between Squall and Seifer. Hope you like it

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	12. The Judge Of Deaths Fate

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BLACK RAIN

As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

'Belief Has A Second Edge' – The Great Hyne

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Chapter 12 – The Judge Of Deaths Fate

Silence.

Just silence.

It was this silence that caused him to snap his eyes open. He lay there for a moment, staring upwards. Well, he _thought_ he was staring upwards, he wasn't sure. Slowly, Squall sat up, blinked a few times, then looked around.

Nothing. Just an impenetrable cloak of ruby darkness surrounded him. And it did surround him, all around him. Even though he felt he was sitting down, the darkness was underneath him also. He couldn't see his hand if he held it out in front of him.

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This feels like the place I landed in when time was compressed, after we beat Ultimecia he thought. _Except not as… quiet… as silent as this_.

He stands up, and takes a step forward. The sound of his boot hitting the floor echoes into the distance, before the silence fills the noise back in. As he stands there, the full account of what happened with Seifer and the Lunatic Pandora comes back to him.

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But, I can't be alive? That explosion engulfed Seifer, Irvine and me along with everything else. What happened?

He is distracted from his thoughts by a small clicking noise coming from behind him. He turns round, and sees a door. A plain wooden door sitting there. A simple door, with a simple knob for turning. Squall walks over to the door and examines it. It looks fairly old. He walks around it, but the door looks the same on both sides. No notice or sign was on the door saying to open it, but Squall was hit with an incredible urge to do so. He places his hand on the knob, turns and opens it.

A huge white light floods over him, blinding him. There's a small bang. Squalls eyes regain their focus. He looks at the door, which has closed behind him.

"Welcome Squall Leonhart" says a voice.

Squall turns around, facing the origin of the voice.

An old man is standing there, looking at him. His hands are clasped behind his back. His eyes, which are a peculiar yellow-blue colour, stare off into the distance, as if he was looking through Squall. He smiles.

Squall looks at him, then behind him. There are 2 more doors; just as equally plain as the one he came through. The only difference is that one of the doors glows a gentle blue, while the other glows red. All around him, there is nothing else but white. Squall then settles his eyes on the old man, who is still smiling. He is about to say, "who are you" when he feels compelled to stop.

"I saw you, I'm sure of it" he says instead. He feels something in his stomach, and then his whole body. It's a mixed feeling of calm, as the man does seem friendly. But also fear, as he is also strong. Infinitely strong.

"Yes you did, glad you remembered, no GF to befuddle your brain" he laughs. "Yes, they are responsible for your forgetfulness. I knew I shouldn't have made…" he breaks off, looking back at Squall. "My apologies, I'm off talking away to myself again" he smiles.

Squall does nothing but watch. "Who are you?" he finally asks.

The old mans smile fades slightly. "Would you believe me if I told you? Or would you simply pretend, and really think 'yeah, right, sure'"

Squall frowns. "I would believe you."

"So do I, with you" he says. "OK Squall, my name is Hyne."

Squall is about to ask how he knows his name, when he catches what he said. He can't help but looked shocked. "Hyne, as in _the_ Great Hyne?"

The old man nods his head. "Yes, I am Hyne, creator of mankind, sorceresses, GF's and the judge of deaths fate."

This catches Squalls attention. "Deaths fate?"

"Yes, I decide where to send the dead when they arrive here."

"And what is this place?" he asks.

"Non… just non – nonspace, nontime."

Squall looks at the ground solemnly. "I guess I'm dead then, since I'm here, and you're here to judge me right?"

"Yes, you are dead Squall, but I don't know what to do with you, in terms of judgement. See that door there?" he gestures to the door behind Squall. "If I choose, you can go back to the living world. These two doors behind me, represent Heaven and Hell."

"Heaven and Hell?"

"Heaven is where those who led worthy lives go. Hell is where those who were evil on the living world go." He simply says. "I must admit, every sorceress that has passed through here, has went to Hell, to live out their own nightmares, as punishment for their actions on the living world."

Squall simply nods his head. _Every sorceress? Would that mean Rinoa too?_

"Not necessarily" says Hyne. Squall looks at him "Right now there are four sorceresses in the living world who are 'noticeable' to me. Out of the four, three are eligible to go to Heaven, if they remain good that is."

Squall thinks for a moment. "Four? Wait, I only know three. Rinoa, Edea, and Ultimecia."

Hyne looks at him intently; suddenly he changes the subject. "Squall, right now you have to think about yourself, you can't do anything up here."

"I know, and I wont be able to, since I cant go back." He says flatly.

"I said I don't know what to do with you, I might send you back, as you can do good in the world, you already have. You might not have noticed Squall, but you have succeeded in keeping the 2 most powerful sorceress quiet, because they're your friends. Well, Rinoa is your girlfriend, but your friends all the same."

Squall shakes his head. "Rinoa yes, but Edea is my matron, not a friend, she's like… a mother to me."

Hyne smiles "Yes, she was, but that's not who I'm talking about."

"Then who?"

Hyne sighs slightly. "I might as well tell you this. Quistis, Squall. Quistis is a sorceress. Why do you think Ultimecia knocked her out, with a look of horror on her face? Because she knew what Quistis was, and knew the threat to her."

Squall stares at him, dumbfounded. "How… when?"

"Please, let me explain" says Hyne, holding his hands up. "Quistis has been a sorceress since birth. In the last 100 years, there was only 1 recording of a sorceresses giving birth. Quistis was a sorceress from birth, and so was Ultimecia."

"That's two." Squall says.

"Ah yes, I might as well tell you this. Ultimecia and Quistis are sisters."

Squalls mouth falls open. "But… again, how? We fought Ultimecia in the future, Quistis is only 18, Ultimecia looked about 24-25 when we fought her."

Hyne nods his head slowly. "Quistis is older than you think. I saw to it, that when they were born, that Quistis forgot about what she was, as she had the potential to become the most powerful sorceress in the world, either good or bad. I also saw to it that she was placed into the orphanage, and then into Garden, with you."

Squall frowns. "With me?"

Hyne simply nods his head. "You once said that… you shouldn't talk about it like it was decided since your damn birth…" he chuckles. "But the truth is Squall, it _was_ decided. Well, I decided."

"What? You…"

"No, no, I didn't orchestrate your death Squall. The truth is this. _You_ were meant to be with Quistis. _You_ were meant to be her knight, and the two of you alone would have destroyed Ultimecia."

Squall sits down, staring at the floor. "How much of this does Quistis know?"

Hyne sits down also; crossing his legs, and sitting only a few inches away form Squall.

"Only the fact that she is a sorceress. If you are willing to listen, I will tell you the whole story regarding Ultimecia and Quistis."

Squall looks at Hyne, into his eyes. His eyes alone tell him to sit and listen to his story. He nods his head. "Please explain."

Hyne smiles slightly, and tells him everything.

After what seemed like an eternity. Squall finally speaks.

"So… is that it? Is there more?"

Hyne sighs. "Yes, a lot more, especially concerning you and Rinoa."

Squall looks at him. "She's not dead too is she?"

Hyne shakes his head. "No, she's not, as she has not passed through the door. Out of the 8 of you who fought in the events of Lunatic Pandora, only 2 of you died."

"Who, may I ask?"

"Well, you, and Seifer Almasy."

Squall says nothing, turning away, he says "it's my fault."

"No its not, he was brainwashed by Ultimecia."

"Where did he go? Which door?" Squall asks, pretty certain Hyne sent him to Hell.

"I didn't send him, as he has not been here yet."

"What?"

"Never mind that, Squall. Its time to talk about you and Rinoa." He says.

"Me and Rinoa?"

"Yes. The truth is that you were meant to be with Quistis, but you chose Rinoa. I noticed you fell in love with her _after_ she became a sorceress. Do you know why?"

"I… I just did, I fell in love with her that's all." Squall was thinking to himself. _I can't talk about things like this to my friends, yet here I am talking to Hyne about them… _

"Ah, but there was a reason you fell in love with her. You didn't feel it, but it was because you felt Quistis powers in her. Hey, I'm not saying you made the wrong choice, as love is something I cant control. I like to let you humans decide for yourselves. But that was the reason also why you became her knight, because of Quistis. Your love is not false, nor is it wrong Squall, but that's the reason why you fell in love with Rinoa." He stares away into the distance again.

Squall says nothing.

"I know what ill do, I'll go for a walk, and I will return soon. I'm going to let you make up your mind about what you want to do."

Squall opens his mouth to say something, but Hyne stops him. "I am going to send you back, Squall, but now I have decided that, you now have the choice. If you do not wish to go back, fine, I'll send you to Heaven. But you are allowed to go back." He places a hand on Squalls shoulder. "Think it over, I'll be back soon. There are more things I wish to talk to you about anyway."

He walks off, then vanishes. Leaving Squall alone. Squall sits back down, and thinks things through, occasionally talking to himself. He thought it was strange how this old man was the creator of the world, but it was true. Squall didn't once say that he wasn't. It was as if it was written all over him. He _was_ the Great Hyne.

__

I was meant to be with Quistis, I was meant to be her knight. All this was decided. Why did he pick me? What's so special about me? And, Seifer was the only one except me who died? That's good and bad, because everyone else survived, but Ultimecia did too. And what about Rinoa? Should I tell her any of this?

Hyne arriving again interrupts his thoughts. He wasn't gone long.

"Made your choice?" he asks him simply.

"Can I ask a few questions?"

Hyne nods his head. "Sure, but be forewarned, that the truth is a dangerous tool."

"Why me? Why did you pick me?"

Hyne frowns. "I picked you because you are both a gifted warrior and a smart person. I thought that if a sorceress had to have a knight, it would be you. Even when you were little, you and Quistis were always together, and I didn't play any part in it, even thought I set up things before it. The way you spoke, the way you acted around each other, gave me the proof I needed to make you her knight. But how that has changed. I believed that you and Quistis would become Sorceress and Knight, but you didn't. There were a huge number of factors that stopped it."

"Such as?" Squall asks.

"Well, not being rude, but Rinoa was the first. I don't know how to explain this to you Squall, but you changed destiny that night you danced with her."

"Changed… destiny?"

Hyne nodded. "Yes, the whole story of you and Quistis played out differently, just because of that."

"I… I don't understand."

"Hmm, OK lets see. Tell me Squall, are you absolutely _certain_ you will fight Ultimecia in the future?"

Squall nods his head. "Of course. We fought her."

"Are you sure? Did you believe that what you saw in the future, was definitely going to happen?"

Squall head was sore. "Yes, I do."

Hyne smiles, much to Squalls surprise. "As a matter of fact, you might not. As destiny was changed again in the Lunatic Pandora."

"How?"

"I was the one who told Quistis she was a sorceress. When Ultimecia found out, the entire story of the fights in the Lunatic Pandora changed. What you and your friends saw in their visions played out differently. Well, Quistis and Zells did."

"How did you tell her?"

"Sometimes I can reach into the living world and alter something, like your future and Quistis' hence the reason I was made you her knight. But not often. I can only communicate with sorceresses and their knights. _That's_ why you saw me in your dream Squall. Because you are a knight. You have been since day one, when I decided it after you were born."

"So, I was destined to die?"

Hyne shakes his head. "No, because after I told Quistis, I didn't know which way it was going to end. All I could do was watch. Actually, and not meaning to be rude, but I am glad you did die, because I would not have been able to tell you all of this."

Squalls head felt like it was spinning. "You want me to tell Quistis everything? The truth?"

"No, only tell her what you wish. She is still unconscious, but when she wakes up, she will know what she is and what she must do."

"And what of Rinoa?" Squall asks, fearing what will happen if he tells Quistis the truth.

"Nothing, look after her, be her knight. Protect her."

"But I'm supposed to be Quistis knight! How can I do both?"

"You won't have to, since I want you to choose someone who can do the job. I'm not telling you to leave Rinoa. You have chosen your sorceress," he says.

Squall puts a hand on his head. "I… know who would be as good as me for the job, but he's gone now, thanks to me."

"You mean Seifer?" Hyne asks. Squall nods hid head.

"I must admit, he would be perfect, as I know he wasn't himself when I fought him, I could tell, when he lay there, that he was sorry and he didn't mean any of this."

Hyne says nothing, watching Squall instead. Squall shakes his head.

"I want to go back, it's the least I can do."

Hyne nods his head. "As you wish, Squall Leonhart. Go back, and tell Quistis whatever you wish. As for Rinoa, when you find her, tell her also. Tell her the truth."

"Why Rinoa?" 

"Rinoa is the biggest help next to Quistis you have. Rinoa is the only person in the living world who could not be defeated if she unleashed her power. Only Quistis could have any hope of stopping her. Telling Rinoa about Quistis, will help Rinoa when it comes to carrying the burden when the next time you fight Ultimecia."

"Where is Ultimecia? Do you know?" asks Squall.

"Sadly no, I cannot see her, she is hurting very badly though, though I know not where. She escaped with the machine, and is in hiding, but I can't see where."

Squall looks at the floor again. "When can I go?"

Hyne looks at him. "Any time, but before you go, I have something to give you." He holds up his hand, and a small white ball appears. It flies at Squall, the suddenly disappears. Squall looks at him confused.

"What was that?" he asks.

"Before you go, I'm going to tell you two things. One, find the Jewelry of the Lion. It will help you."

"The what?" Squall asks, but is cut off.

"And secondly, No matter what happens, you must not believe that Ultimecia rises in the future. There is one more choice that can alter it. Two have already happened, one more is to be decided." 

"What is the last choice?" he asks

"The first was when you let Rinoa dance with you. The second was when I told Quistis she was a sorceress. The last is yours alone."

Squall stands there quietly, he turns around, and faces the door he entered, it shines a soft brown colour, and then it opens. He sees the blackness again.

"Belief has a second edge Squall. Make use of it." Is Hynes final words.

Squall turns back, and nods his head, He raises a hand in farewell, then steps through the door.

"I cant help you anymore, and I'm sorry for not letting you live your life."

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Hope you liked the chapter. I'm going to write a separate fic explaining the history of Ultimecia and Quistis, and what happened to them. Next chapter will be posted soon. All reviews welcome.


	13. The Aftermath

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BLACK RAIN

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As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

"I just don't THINK she's not dead, I KNOW she's not dead" – Squall

****

Chapter 13 – The Aftermath

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(Rinoa -?)

Her eyes were closed, but she could hear things around her. She couldn't move either. It was almost as if her body was still asleep, or unconscious, but her ears were tuned into the real world. She hears voices form above, s if there are people standing over her.

"Get the Elder, ask him to hurry."

Rinoa tries to open her eyes, but they stay firmly shut in defiance. She hears a door opening and several noises that suggest there are more people walking up to her.

"What happened to her?" says one.

"We do not know, Elder. We were standing here on duty, when a white light flooded the area. This girl fell through and then the light disappeared. There was a huge bang as well."

Her eyes flicker slightly. She just makes out a couple of shapes. One is tall the other is small. Both are bent over her. The one called Elder speaks again.

"I know who this is. Take her to the village. She needs help. She has been through a terrible ordeal, one which is a precursor to a bigger ordeal."

"Right away," say two voices. She feels two sets of hands slide under her body. Their hands are shaped like shovels. She _knows_ who these people are, but the name eludes her… 

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(Squall/Irvine/Selphie – Ragnarok Wreckage)

Squalls eyes blink open. He is lying down on his back. A coat is stuffed under his head and a blanket is over his body. He stares up at the roof of the place he is in, and realises that it is tilted at an awkward angle.

"Oh thank Hyne! Your awake!" says a voice. He turns his head and Selphie is kneeling next to him, a look of delight on her face.

"You look terrible," she says, "but at least your ok. Me and Irvine thought you were dead."

Squall says nothing, letting his eyes focus on Selphie and the rest of the room.

"You don't look so good either," he says. Indeed, Selphie didn't look 100%. The left side of her face was blackened and her left arm is in a sling. Her legs and arms are covered in cuts and bruises.

"Nah, I'm fine. You should see Irvine, he's perfectly ok!"

At the mention of his name, Irvine walks in. Squall recognises he's missing his trademark coat.

"Where's your coat?" he asks.

Irvine chuckles. "You've been lying on it the past 6 hours."

Squall tries to sit up, gets dizzy and falls down.

"Next time, take it easy." Selphie giggles. Squall grunts. He sits up.

At this viewpoint. He can see the room clearer. The whole room is a mess, and is indeed cocked at a curious angle, as if it was a table missing one of its legs.

"Where are we?" he asks.

"Were still in the Ragnarok. We have been since it crashed. Luckily, there were no major fires, but we did get beat up a bit when it crash landed."

"Except me" says Irvine. "Sorry Squall, but when that thing blew, the force of it knocked you into me. You took the blast while I was behind you. Sorry." He smiles.

Squall says nothing. 

"Anyway…" says Irvine, thinking he's offended him. "I took care of you, then Selphie. We got as much stuff as possible from the cargo bay and have been sitting in here. You can still get outside, but it's like an obstacle course."

Squall nods his head, and tries to stand up. He still feels sore all over, and when he tries to walk, his right leg buckles under him. Selphie and Irvine both grab him in time.

"Thank you" he says awkwardly.

"I'm amazed you still have your legs," says Irvine. "That blast engulfed you."

"So am I" he says. He tries to stand up and succeeds, but his right leg won't allow him to walk.

"My legs gone…" he says.

"Ill fix it," says Selphie. Squall sits back down, as Selphie rolls up his trouser leg. "It's not broken, just severely sprained. There are bruises all up it. Ill have to make a support for it."

Squall curses. "Can I walk?"

Selphie smiles. "Yes, you can, but with a severe limp. It will heal, just a question of how long."

Squall says nothing, but listens as Irvine tells him what happened when the ship crashed and after it.

"Selphie got covered in glass and debre" he says. "I was fine. I dragged you into here Squall" he gestures around the room, which Squall recognises as the main hall. The stairs leading up to the upper levels are wrecked. "Then I got Selphie. After that I went around the ship as much as I could, and salvaged this food and stuff. I sealed the doors to stop the fires getting through. Selphie woke up after an hour, and we both tackled the fires. Like she said, luckily there was nothing major."

Squall nods his head. "Good, well done."

Selphie giggles. "Typical Squall, well done! That's you by the way."

Squall gets back up; he is able to put a bit of weight on his leg.

"We have to try to get outside. Maybe someone's came for us."

"Sounds good," says Selphie. "Lets go."

They fight their way to the loading ramp. Squall realises that the ship isn't just tipped at an angle, its practically upside-down, as what's left of the landing ramp is attached to the ceiling. Masonry and metal litter the floor. Squall needs help to step over the wreckage.

Irvine is outside first.

"Hey! There's a car coming!" he yells.

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(Zell/Quistis/Laguna – Esthar)

"What do you mean, your dreams came true?" asks Laguna, looking down at Zell. He looks back up and sees a ship screaming off into the distance, the back an angry colour of red and yellow fire.

"We knew this was going to happen," says Zell, picking himself up. "But not like this…"

He quickly shakes his head, then grabs Laguna.

"Follow that ship! We have to help them!" he shouts.

"OK! OK!" Laguna yells back. "Get in the car, we can follow it!"

Zell carefully places Quistis unconscious body in the back seat. He then gets in and rests Quistis head on his legs. He looks more closely, as if he was sure he saw Quistis stirring.

"Quistis?" he asks. No response, but Zell feels unease about himself about her. As if something was different about her. He wonders why Ultimecia knocked her out. But he was really wondering why Ultimecia had a look of fear and horror on her face…

The car journey is non eventful. All the time Zell wonders about what happened in the Pandora, and to Squall and Rinoa. Also about the ship, as he was sure Selphie was in that thing. His thoughts are interrupted by Kiros.

"Were almost there, as there is debre form the ship littered here."

Laguna looks down solemnly. "That's if there's a ship to find. Some of these parts look as if they fell form the landing legs."

"Don't say that" Zell says bitterly. "Well find them, they're alive, I know it."

Laguna nods his head. "Your right, but we've been driving for 4 hours now…"

"I don't care!" Zell yells at him. "They're alive! I know!"

Kiros looks at Laguna awkwardly. Laguna doesn't return the stare.

"Yes, your right, faster Ward, hurry."

Ward grumbles softly as the car goes faster.

"There it is!" Yells Zell from the back seat a while later. "There!"

The others say nothing. The ship is crash landed upside-down in the desert. Smoke comes from the ship, but not badly. Debre from both inside and outside the ship are strewn all over the place.

"By Hyne…" is all Kiros can say.

"Ill say! Look!" yells Laguna with delight. He points to three figures standing outside. Selphie, Irvine and Squall, who is leaning on Selphie.

"All Right!!!!!" Zell yells so loudly that Ward almost skids. He growls slightly, but opens the door for them.

Selphie is smiling broadly, and Irvine is calling. All Squall can do is look at the ground_._

We made it. Our visions did play out differently, as Hyne said…

Squall smiles slightly himself as Kiros and Ward help him up to the car. He stops, looks in the back seat, and his small smile quickly vanishes.

"Where's Rinoa?" he asks sternly.

Zell looks at him. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" he asks more angrily.

"Please, lets get in the car and go," says Laguna "Ill take you to…"

"No" Squall says. "Take me to the Pandora wreckage. She's alive."

The others look at him. 

"Do you think so?" asks Kiros.

Squall stares at him. "I just don't THINK she's not dead, I KNOW she's not dead."

Kiros looks away.

"Very well, lets go."

They climb into the car. Squall moves into the back. He looks at Quistis.

"Ill do it Zell," he says, resting her head in his lap. He looks down at her. A wave of mixed feelings come over him as he looks at her.

__

Quistis? But… what about Rinoa? I was destined, meant to be your knight, but…What Hyne told me is true. All of it. Now I have to worry about what to do now. Our visions played up to the Pandora, but not after it…

He is broken from his thoughts as a voice talks to him.

"Squall?" Quistis asks, opening her eyes and looking at him.

"Quistis? You OK?" he asks solemnly.

"You look terrible" she says, she reaches up with one hand and strokes his cheek. The others see this, and are amazed when Squall takes her hand, instead of brushing it away as normal.

"I'll live. Or rather, I did." He whispers, so that only she could hear.

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(Rinoa -?)

Her eyes were flickering, letting in little bits of light. She opens them halfway, and sees the same two shapes looking down on her. She feels softness under her and a blanket over her.

"I think she is awake, Elder. Medic is sure of it." Says the little shape.

"No, she is still away, but she is coming back. Even though her eyes are open barely, she is still away." 

"What shall I do Elder?" the one called Medic asks.

"Nothing for now. Just see to it that she remains comfortable. Also she cannot be allowed to get upset." The one called Elder sighs. "She is going to have a hard time, even harder than the one she went through. This ordeal was a small test compared to the next one."

"That hard? Are you sure?" says the Medic.

"Yes, her eyes, even like this, tells me the story of what happened." His shape blurs away from Rinoa, as he continues to speak. "But she will not face her next ordeal alone, as another of her kind will end up being a massive help for her."

There is silence for a bit, before the Elder voice speaks again.

"I must go, as soon as she wakes, I will come over. Notify me when she does."

"I will Elder."

Rinoa hears the voices fade away as she lapses into a sleep again.

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(Lunatic Pandora/Tears Point Wreckage)

There was just junk littered about the place as the car stops. Squall gets out first, leaning on the car as he helps Quistis out. Again they look at each other, but Squall looks away quickly.

"Come on" he says, and starts to walk. He winces with the pain, but Quistis grabs his arm and hangs on to him.

"I'm fine, ill help."

Squall says nothing. The others walk about the debre too. After a while, Zell shouts.

"Yo! I found something!"

Squall walks over to the spot where Zell is standing. He and the rest say nothing as they look down at the scene.

In the middle of a perfect circle of debre, two gunblades lie crossed over each other. Lionheart lies on top of Hyperion. At the bottom, a small piece of white trenchcoat lies there. Squall bends down and picks his blade up. It is in perfect condition. As is Hyperion, when Laguna picks it up. Squall looks at the blades with interest. He feels compelled to listen to something.

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"Find him, he will help you. He is the last choice."

A/N will be a while before new chap is up, as im going to finish 'White wind and Red Sky' first. Thanks for reading. All Reviews welcome.


	14. The Story Of Her Eyes

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BLACK RAIN

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As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

"The eyes are a passageway to the soul" – Elder Shumi

Chapter 14 – The Story Of Her Eyes

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(Rinoa -?)

Rinoa eyes open fully. She stares at the ceiling. A small moan utters from her mouth. No sooner than that happens than a face appears over her head. It's a Shumi. Easily recognisable for the long faces and shovel like hands.

__

Shovel hands? Faces? I knew it was them, it just wouldn't come to me… she thinks as she stares back at the Shumi.

"You are awake at last! Great! This is progress!" he shuffles away and speaks to a Moomba. The Moomba dashes out of the door. The Shumi turns back to Rinoa.

"My name is Medic, Miss Rinoa, I am glad you are up now."

"Thank you – " she cuts off. "How do you know my name?"

"The Elder recognised you from the last time you were here" the Medic says. "Elder told us you came here before but Medic did not see you."

"I see." Rinoa answers. She sits up gently and looks around. The house is small and cosy looking. There is a huge cupboard dominating one side of the room. It is filled with various pieces of equipment and there are various liquids in glass vials.

"I'm in the Shumi village" she mutters to herself. This is verified when the Elder walks through the door. He hasn't changed at all from the last time Rinoa saw him.

"Welcome Miss Rinoa, I am happy to see you are awake. Your ordeal was something else I must say."

Rinoa is about to say 'thank you' but says something else instead.

"How did you know that?"

The Elder walks over to a seat located next to the bed and sits down.

"The eyes are a passage to the soul. Your eyes told me everything."

Rinoa says nothing. She looks at the Elder, straight into his eyes, but quickly looks away.

"How did you get here exactly? The guardians at the door told me an unusual story. Though I believe them, I would like to hear your version if possible."

"I must have thought of this place when I went through the gate… I can't remember…" she trails off.

"But I am grateful for your help."

The Elder smiles. "Think nothing of it, Miss Rinoa. You have other things to worry about. You are worrying about them right now."

Rinoa is spooked by the accuracy of the Elders words. The Elder sits quietly as Rinoa, who can't help herself, tells the Elder what happened in the Lunatic Pandora. Finally the Elder speaks.

"I know what you went through, but it sounds more horrifying from the way you said it." He falls silent for a moment. "So the enemy of time is already here…"

"You mean Ultimecia? Yes she is…" Rinoa also falls silent. She can't help but think of Squall and Quistis… _a sorceress_?

"You worry about your friends, especially the one you love. You found out a secret about a friend of yours. I assure you it will help her for the better. If any I would say that this changes everything."

"What do you mean? Asks Rinoa, looking at him. Again she shivers, as if the Elder can read everything about her.

"I know what you are, and I also know what she is. The two of you combined will face the enemy together. But there will be a test, I feel. A test that will determine what happens in that final confrontation." He sighs. "A shadow is slowly developing over the world. And you and her are the only ones who can make it recede and disappear"

Rinoa stares at the blankets. She stammers slightly as she speaks.

"What do you mean?"

"War, my dear. War. The _third_ Sorceress War is going to happen. The one where the enemy of time finally rises."

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(Squall – Esthar Palace)

Squall sits on the roof of the palace alone, looking out over the city. The sun sets slowly over the horizon. Squall watches. He doesn't think, merely sits there, staring off into the distance. He doesn't even move when he hears a door open behind him. He still looks ahead when the person sits down next to him.

"Squall, what's wrong?" asks Quistis.

Squall says nothing.

Quistis looks at him. She looks away at the sunset too, and sighs. The sun creeps slower to the horizon. The sky slowly turns a soft red colour.

"So you know now. What you are," Squall says. Quistis jumps. She looks at him. Squall is looking at her. A look of (concern?) on his face.

"Yes, I do. I am a sorceress, Squall but I – "

"I know what you are. I know everything about you." Squall says. He looks away again, back at the sunset.

"What do you mean everything?" Quistis asks, her face curious. "Squall?"

Squall turns around, so he is facing her. "Yes, Quistis. Everything."

"Can you please tell me what you mean?" she asks. She looks into his eyes. A small jolt runs through her. A feeling. It seemed familiar, but… also distant. The two of them stare at each other. 

"When the Pandora exploded, I died." Squall says flatly. "And when I died. I saw someone."

Quistis stares at him, mouth partially open. She is about to say something when Squall puts his hand up. He places it on her hand gently.

"I've stared. I would like nothing more than for you to sit and listen to what I have to say. It's entirely your choice what you want to believe, because I believe it all. After I have told you everything, I'll let you decide what you want to do."

Quistis says nothing. She continues to stare into his eyes. Her whole being tells her to listen and believe him. The same feeling runs through her again. It doesn't feel like love. More like a connection…

"Yes, please tell me."

Squall sighs slightly. "I saw a man. He told me everything about Ultimecia. A sorceress with an incredible ability. An ability like Ellones. Except she can see into the future. And with this ability, she has been planning since she was able to use it, to destroy us and rule the world."

Squall looks into Quistis eyes. A feeling runs through him. Normally he would ignore it. But this feeling can't be ignored. _She must be told_ he thinks.

"He also told me where she came from, and her family. She was a child of a sorceress. It was the only recording of a sorceress giving birth in 100 years. Not only that…" he looks away, then back. "It was also the only recording of a sorceress giving birth to more than one child, as the sorceress had two children. Two twin sisters. Ultimecia was one. And you were the other."

Quistis blinks. Her mouth is open further now. She blinks some more.

"I knew… somehow I always knew…," she says. She looks away, out towards the sunset. "Ever since I sat on the Ragnarok and Rinoa showed me her power. Ever since I saw Ultimecia in the Pandora, I always thought and knew…"

"Quistis?" Squall asks. Quistis turns back to him.

"When I saw Ultimecia, I said to myself that I knew her from somewhere. Now I know."

"Yes" Squall says. "You and her were together until you were 5 years old. Your father took you away because he knew what Ultimecia was, and what she could do. Your father placed you into the orphanage. Under Cid and Edea. Edea also knew what you were, and took steps to ensure you forgot what you were."

Quistis face turns to shock. "Forget! Why?" she asks, a slight sound of fear in her voice.

"Because Ultimecia would find you, and either destroy you, or ask you to join her," Squall says. "And also it was planned by this man and your father. Your father agreed and carried it out. He told Edea, and she carried it out too."

Quistis says nothing. A small tear runs down her cheek.

"Quistis?" Squall asks quietly. She gets up. Squall also gets up. To his surprise, she throws her arms around him and buries her face in his chest. Squall can't help but put his arms around her as she begins to sob softly. She can't help herself as she cries, trying to hold back the tears and failing.

"What happened to my father?" she asks between sobs.

"He was destroyed by your sister. Ultimecia found out what he did to save you, then killed him. She never found out where you went because the man made sure of it."

Quistis looks up at him; her tears are still streaming down her face. 

"Who's this man your talking about?"

Squall looks at her. "Would you believe me if I told you?"

Quistis nods her head. "I'll believe you. I'll always believe you."

Squall smiles slightly. "It was the Great Hyne, Quistis. He told me everything because he saw it all happen. He also told you that you were a sorceress. But Ultimecia had already knocked you out before you could do anything about it."

Quistis stares at him. She has stopped crying. She hugs Squall closer. Squall keeps his arms around her.

"That's who that man was then you saw in your dream" she says quietly.

"Yes. He's been watching you since you were born. He was the one who told your father to take you to the orphanage. He's the one who made sure you forgot about who you were, for your safety and the worlds."

"Safety from me?"

Squall nods his head. "Yes. You don't know it, but I do. You are the most powerful sorceress there is. It's a toss up between you and Rinoa. Ultimecia is close, but nowhere near as close as you two. Most of Ultimecias powers didn't come to be when she was born because of this ability."

Quistis shudders as she lets out a long breath. She breaks off from Squall and turns away slightly. "So I'm destined to fight her? Is that it? I'm the only one besides Rinoa who can destroy her."

Squall nods his head. "That's not all."

Quistis looks back at him. She is silent as Squall tells her the next part.

"We could have destroyed her for good in the Pandora. But certain… things… happened that prevented it."

"Such as?" she asks. Squall doesn't reply. Quistis walks up to him and places a hand on his arm. He turns around and looks into her eyes again.

"Just as you are destined to fight Ultimecia, I was destined to be your Knight."

__

(Rinoa – Shumi Village)

A horrible feeling races through Rinoa's body.

"War? Sorceress war?" she asks the Elder. The Elder nods his head slowly.

"I don't know if it will happen, but it seems to be that way. Though from what I know, coupled with what you told me. It seems that it might either not happen at all, or play out differently."

"It won't happen," Rinoa says sternly. "I'll see to it."

"You have a good soul, but your emotions are making you confused, I understand your wings changed colour, what will happen when you really let go?"

A chill runs through Rinoa. "I don't know" she whispers.

"You must think… very carefully and clearly about what you must do." Says the Elder. "As your choices now may effect the future. There is a dark cloud starting to emerge. How big it grows and what happens depends on you, your friends and the choices you all make."

"What do you suggest?" she asks him.

"I suggest you get to your friends, and fast. I feel there is not much time."

Rinoa takes the elders hands.

"Thank you. For everything."

"No, no need. As you must go now. I hope you shine on all of us and rid us of all the darkness. You are a sorceress, but a good one. I have never encountered a good sorceress before. This is a sign for all of us. But remember, just think of what may happen if you let loose when you get upset."

Rinoa nods her head sternly. She thanks the Medic. A gate forms in front of her. Closing her eyes, she concentrates on a place close to where the Pandora was.

__

(Lunatic Pandora Wreckage)

She materialises out of the gate and gently lands onto the ground. The gate vanishes. Looking around, she whistles at the sight. She clasps a hand around the two rings around her neck. A look of worry is on her face as she walks through the wreckage. She stops at an unusual sight. A perfect circle of debre is here. There are markings, as if something was sitting here previously. There are footprints in the ground. She notices something white sitting in the circle. She picks it up and looks at it.

__

It looks like a piece of Seifers coat she thinks. Something tells her to turn around.

A man in a black cloak is standing there behind her. Face covered by the hood.

"Who are you?" she asks sternly. The man removes the hood. Rinoa face immediately fills with shock as she looks back at the person.

"Hello Rinoa."

__

(Caves)

She stands at the edge of the cliff and looks outward. They are amassing here, under the cover of the trees. Thousands of them. She is summoning them here. She learned how to do this by a sorceress who had an amazing ability to talk to animals and monsters. She had taken her powers and by doing so learned the ability. Now she summoned them. A noise only they could hear. Trees were swatted out of the way, knocked down, trampled on and burnt to nothing as they marched, almost like an army to her location.

__

I will destroy you all she thinks to herself. _And these monsters can help. The Pandora may be no more, and The Lunar Cry may no longer be able to happen, but no matter, because when I am ready, there will be no need._

She hobbles back into the cave. She looks at the machine. Somehow it was untouched in the fight with Rinoa. She stares at it. The machine, 3 feet high, with a helmet designed to sit on the head. The letters, in red are at the top. The silly fools missed it. The letters 'JME'.

__

I will get you Rinoa. I will destroy you and you too Quistis. Then the world will be mine. No sorceress will be able to stop me…

__ ****


	15. The Third Choice

****

BLACK RAIN

__

As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

"I was going to make sure he wasn't cut by the blade, the blade that is fear of becoming and rejection" – Primary High (by Katie)

****

Chapter 15 – The Third Choice

__

(Squall/Quistis – Esthar Palace)

Quistis looks at him intently. "My Knight?"

Squall nods his head. "Yes, your Knight. I was meant to be your Knight, your protector. Hyne said that if that had happened, the two of us together would have destroyed Ultimecia, with ease. Even if she was all powerful, like she was when we fought her in the future."

Quistis stares at the ground. A small wind brushes pat them, as if it was a hand trying to push them together. Squall looks up, but says nothing.

"And what of Rinoa?" she asks.

"What of her? It was supposed to be that…" he looks away. "That if I didn't dance with Rinoa at the SeeD graduation ball, I was supposed to be with you when you spoke to me on the balcony and in the secret area" he stares out to the distance. "I was supposed to become your Knight, but as Rinoa got more… involved, I eventually fell in love with her. And I fell in love with her because of you."

Quistis looks up at him. "Me?"

Squall looks straight at her. "Hyne told me, that I fell in love with her, because I felt your powers inside her. After all she got them from Ultimecia, who had the powers of every sorceress there is and will be." He looks away again.

Quistis realises what this meant. She feels herself going red and warm… _He was supposed to fall in love with me… oh my, so that why he's so… open to me._

"I have to say something to you Quistis, before I go."

Quistis is broken from her thoughts. "Go? Where?" Squall does not reply to this question.

"I am sorry, but I am Rinoa's Knight. I love her. I can't be a Knight to you both. Hyne said I have chosen my sorceress. And I have."

Quistis says nothing. She lowers her head. "I understand."

Squall walks up to her. He places his hands onto her shoulders.

"But I will always be here for you, I will protect you if it's the last thing I do. I don't want you to get upset or feel angry and hurt, because you and I both know what will happen."

Quistis still says nothing. She looks at him, into his eyes. Suddenly she kisses him once, then cuddles into him before he can do anything. 

Squall is shocked, but does nothing. He hugs her tight.

"I have to go," he says. He stammers when he says this.

"Where? Where are you going?"

"I want you all to go back to Garden, and look for Rinoa, I – I have to go and do something."

"Why" Quistis asks.

"I have a choice to make. And I have to find someone to make that choice."

"I'll come with you."

Squall shakes his head. "No, I have to go alone."

"Your in no fit state." She says gesturing to his leg. He no longer has a support on it, but he still limps a bit.

"I'm fine. Please, do this for me? Besides, with your power, you can try to sense where she is. You could also try and sense where Ultimecia is."

Quistis nods her head. "OK, I'll try."

Squall smiles at her. "Thank you."

He hugs her once more, and walks away through the door. As he disappears. Tears again roll down Quistis cheeks in silent waterfalls.

"I love you Squall, I always will. No matter what."

__

(Rinoa – Lunatic Pandora Wreckage)

Rinoa looks at the person with a look of shock on her face.

"But, how? You were –"

"Killed?" Seifer says as he watches her, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Yes" Rinoa says. Her shock fades away as she looks at him. He is wearing a cloak that covers him completely. She also sees why he had the hood up. His face is fairly bruised. A black eye shines on his face as does several cuts. They are also on his neck. These are the only parts of him she can see, as his hands are gloved. He walks up to alongside her. He studies the ground.

"So, they've already been" he says quietly.

"Who?"

Seifer looks at her.

"Squall and the others."

"They're all alive? Squall included? But I thought he would have been –"

"Killed along with me? Actually he was, but he's back too. We both are."

Rinoa shakes her head. "Back? What do you mean?"

Seifer raises his hand. "Shhh Rinoa, I'll answer all of your questions later, but right now, I have a favour to ask. I need you to take me to Garden, or wherever Squall is, as I have to talk to him. Not only is it urgent, but It's him I need." He laughs. "Never though I'd see the day where I would say I needed Squall."

Rinoa says nothing. She looks at him curiously.

"Why should I believe you?" she asks.

"Because I'm on your side!" he yells at her. "What you saw in the Pandora wasn't true, believe me damn it!"

Rinoa flinches at the loudness in his voice.

"You better be telling the truth Seifer or Hyne help me…"

"He's helped as much as he could." Seifer says, as he pulls the hood back up over his head.

Rinoa looks at him one last time quizzically, wondering what he meant, then forms a gate. 

"I'll take you to Esthar, as that's where we were last time." She says as the gate shimmers.

Seifer leaps through it first.

__

(Squall – Esthar Palace)

Squall picks up Lionheart and feels its comfortable weight. He sheathes it, then picks up Hyperion. He looks over it. The smooth silver feels reassuringly familiar, as it's the same weight as his own. He turns around and is floored by a white flash as a gate forms in front of him. A hooded man leaps through and grabs the sword from Squalls hands. Squall grabs Lionheart as the hooded man stands there. Squalls face registers a look of horror as the man goes for him. The man slams his sword down on his own. Squall quickly spins away and readies his sword. The noise form the Gunblades brings the others rushing down the corridor as they both spill out into the hall. The hooded man whirls around and stands still. All Squall can see is a familiar looking green eye, though it is ringed with a bruise.

"Stop it!" screams Rinoa. Squall turns around and looks at her. The hooded man laughs.

"Damn Squall, your reflexes are fast. No wonder you got the better of me."

The others, who are watching, stare in shock. Selphie screams as Seifer removes the hood and looks at them. Squalls face becomes a mask as he levels a look at Seifer. Although he doesn't say anything, Seifer knows what he means as he locks eyes with Squall. Seifer walk up to him.

"Yeah, its me. I'm back" he says so that only Squall can hear. He also hears Laguna telling the guards to leave as well.

"Squall?" says Rinoa. Squall immediately looks at her as she draws level. She smiles at him. Squall doesn't return the smile, but a wave of relief sweeps over him. _She's allright_ he thinks.

"Could someone tell me what's going on?" asks Zell as, from his viewpoint, he sees Seifer walk up to Squall and mutter something to him. He watches as Rinoa walks up to Squall. After what seems like an eternity, the three of them walk up to them. Selphie backs up a bit as Seifer walks closer. His beaten-up face clearly visible.

"Squall gave you a tanking, and vice-versa I see" Irvine says.

"Yeah, he did, and has the only one who could" he says with a hint if sarcasm in his voice.

Irvine smiles sarcastically at him as he walks by. Squall turns to Laguna.

"We need to call a meeting, fast" he says to him.

"Sure, how quick?" he says, Kiros and Ward also look at him.

"As soon as you can, as its very urgent." Rinoa says. "_Very_."

Laguna looks at her fearfully. "OK, give me half an hour."

Squall and Rinoa nod at him, then walk up to Seifer, who is standing a part away, his back to them.

"Seifer, we need you to come to the meeting" Rinoa says to him. Seifer turns around.

"Sure, I'll help with what I can."

"Hey, should we trust him? After what happened?" Zell asks, walking up to them.

"It's up to you, Zell. You don't have to trust me, but trust what I say," he says. "As there's not much time."

Zell simply stares at him. Irvine walks up to Squall.

"Where's Quistis?"

"On the roof of the palace. I was talking to her."

"I'll go get her" says Selphie, and runs off.

Squall and the others say nothing as they gather in the room where they had the last briefing. They sit down, except for Seifer, who positions himself next to the door, leaning on the wall. The others say nothing. Rinoa turns to Zell.

"Please Zell, trust him, I think he's serious."

"I will. Rinoa, at least, now I know for certain I will."

"Why?"

"He didn't call me chicken-wuss" Zell says with a half smile. "that means he's serious."

Rinoa smiles back. They all turn and watch as Quistis walks in. She doesn't notice Seifer. Her face is still red from crying. 

"What?" she asks. Selphie gestures behind her. Quistis turns around, and Seifer looks back at her, not smiling.

"Hello Sorceress Quistis" he says simply. Quistis looks at him.

"I though you were…"

"Never mind that" he says softly, "there's more important things to do."

Quistis looks at him one last time, and sits down. A few minutes of silence later, Laguna enters, followed by Kiros,Ward and the generals and officials of Esthar. They all look scared as they sit down.

"Ok people," says Laguna flatly. "Fill us in."

Rinoa stands up first. "We'll fill you in proper later. All you need to know right now President, is that a war is looming."

Laguna stares at her in horror. Seifer and Squall both narrow their eyes as she says this.

"W…War?" Laguna asks flabbergasted. Kiros and Ward exchange looks.

"Yes, and it quite possibly could be the Third Sorceress War."

The generals and the officials make noises at this. The SeeD's are silent as Rinoa calls them to silence.

"Even though we succeeded in getting Dr Odine out of the way, The sorceress escaped, also with the machine. This machine is the machine Ultimecia used to go back in time. And that's because the sorceress in question is Ultimecia. She's here now." 

This caused uproar, and it required Rinoa's rather dominant voice to shut them up. Quistis looks at the floor in silence. Squall looks over at her. She looks up almost immediately, and fixes her eyes onto Squalls.

"What would you like us to do Rinoa?" Kiros asks. Squall stands up.

"Just be prepared for the worst. Also, if you could, alongside Garden, alert as many countries as you can and warn them about this. Tell them not to worry yet, but just be prepared."

Kiros nods his head. As does everyone else.

"What will you do?" asks Laguna.

"We're going to hunt her down, and destroy her, before this really gets started. There's no telling how many times she's used the machine now."

At this saying, a scientist bursts into the room. He runs up to the top of the table and hands Kiros a load of papers. There are photos on it.

"What is it?" Laguna asks. Kiros looks at the pictures with a look of doubt on his face.

"It seems that, according to our satellite photos, that there is a huge number of monsters amassing together at one point."

Seifer stands upright. "Where?" he asks.

"Near the Chocobo Sanctuary" Kiros says, he breathes deeply. "Well over one hundred thousand, as some of the forest has been destroyed by them arriving there."

"One hundred thousand?" Irvine says loudly? "Hyne, we got our work cut out now!"

"Yes, and there's more arriving. And not just the small ones. The big ones form the Heaven and Hell islands."

Squall gets up. "Let's go everyone. Laguna, we have to get to Garden." There is a slight urgency in his voice.2

"OK, understood. We'll get started now. Good luck" Laguna says quickly. He is hardly finished the sentence as Squall and the others get up and leave.

__

(Caves)

They were coming in huge numbers now. The Sanctuary is flattened and ripped apart as the monsters gather. Again, just like an army, the monsters wait in lines. The chocobos are either ripped apart or eaten as the lines stretch back as far as she can see. She smiles as she thinks to them. They understand what she is saying.

__

Let's start small, my pets. There's a small place called Trabia not too far from here. There is a place where people were trained to kill your family members. Let us pay them back shall we? Tell others of your kind about what you are doing. Revenge is sweet, my pets, so very sweet.

She throws her hands up, and the monsters roar as one. The sound races over the hills, the forest and through the sky. Suddenly, as one, they all take off or stampede back the way, towards Trabia.

__

(Squall – Garden)

Squall, Seifer and the others fly through the gate created by Rinoa. Xu yelps as Seifer lands in front of her. But the sight of Squall and the others stop her from raising the alarm.

"What the?" she says but is promptly silenced as Squall grabs the announcement mike.

"Everyone Listen up, this is Squall, and its very urgent." He says. The entire Garden immediately stops what they are doing and looks upward.

"The world is in great danger right now. I want everyone who is a SeeD to report to the quad in an hour. All trainees are to assemble in the parking lot, where you will receive your instructions also."

He watches as books and other items are dropped as trainees and SeeD's race to the designated positions. He turns and whispers in Quistis ear.

"I have to go somewhere, be back in half an hour."

"What's going on?" Xu asks again.

"There's going to be a war, Xu" Quistis says to her, taking one last look at Squall as he says something to Rinoa, and watching her nod her head. "And Garden is going to be right in the middle of it. As is Esthar and hopefully all the other countries. We need their help."

"Why?" she asks, still puzzled.

"Ultimecia has risen."

Seifer stands on the balcony on the second floor, looking over the ocean. He turns slightly as Squall walks onto the balcony also. He walks up alongside him.

"your with us right?" he says to Seifer.

"Yeah, all the way. I owe her one when I find her."

Squall turns to face him. Seifer turns his head and looks back.

"He sent you back, why?" Squall asks.

"You seen him too? Thought so, he sees everybody apparently."

"Why?"

"Because he says I can redeem myself, that there is still a place for me here, and that, if I do it properly, he wont send me to Hell when my time does come." 

Squall looks away out to the ocean.

"What did he tell you?" he asks Seifer.

"Everything about Ultimecia. That Quistis is a sorceress, and her sister. Also that you were destined to be her Knight, but situations arose where that didn't happen. He says I have a choice to make."

"A choice?" says Squall, genuinely interested. "He told me that too."

"Do you know what yours is?" Seifer asks.

"No" says Squall. He is silent for a moment, then it hits him.

__

Seifer, he's the third choice, that's what Hyne said when I picked up his sword. I have to ask him…

"Seifer, I want you to be Quistis Knight."

Seifer turns around to face him fully.

"What?" he asks.

"You heard, I want you to be her Knight. I can't be, as I'm Rinoa's."

"I thought you were meant to be hers."

"No, Hyne told me I have chosen mine."

Seifer looks at the ground. "This must be my choice. Your choice was to ask me whether to be her Knight or not. I guess I get the final say."

"So will you?" Squall asks, facing Seifer.

"Sure. And I'll say to her myself."


	16. The Calm Before The Storm

****

BLACK RAIN

__

As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

"The wheel of destiny never stops, merely turns differently."

****

Chapter 16 – The Calm before the Storm

__

(Squall – Garden)

"Squall! Squall!" calls a voice. Squall turns around to see Xu running towards him.

"What's up?" he asks.

"It's... Trabia," she says, puffing slightly. "We received a distress call form there. A horde of monsters has swamped the Garden up there and is destroying it. The students and staff are holding up but just…"

"Let's go, fast as possible" Squall says, cutting Xu off. They both run for the Bridge.

"I've informed the SeeD's and students of what is happening and what's going to happen" Xu says as the lift ascends. They disembark and Squall sees Zell, Irvine, Selphie and Seifer all standing there.

"Where's Quistis and Rinoa?" he asks.

"Dunno" Zell replies. "Rinoa said something to Quistis and they both left. No idea where though."

"Should I call them?" Xu asks Squall.

Squall thinks for a minute. _I think I know what Rinoa's doing_. "No" he finally answers. "How far away are we from Trabia?"

"About 3 hours" says Nida, who walks in. "But if I push it, we can get there in 2."

Squall nods his head. "Go, as fast as you can. We've no time to lose."

Nida also nods his head, and sets off up to the pilot area.

__

(Rinoa/Quistis –Somewhere in Garden)

Quistis sits cross-legged on the floor. Her hands are fists that rest on her legs. Small lightning crackles occasionally around her. Rinoa walks in a circle, her hand just above her head. She too is powered up, her voice echoing many times.

"That's it, almost there" she says quietly. She watches as a pair of wings extends form Quistis back. They are a beautiful golden-white colour, and it softly radiates a gold glow.

__

She's… almost as powerful as I am… if not more… Rinoa thinks. She can't help but be astonished at the level of power Quistis gives off. 

Quistis suddenly springs to her feet. Hovering slightly, she opens her arms slowly. Rinoa can't help but back off, as the power from Quistis is at such an intense heat that she can't stand there any longer.

"Well done, you have found the source," Rinoa says to her.

"I know" Quistis simply says. She opens her eyes, which are no longer their natural greenish colour. Instead they are a gold colour, but there is also a small red colour in it too. 

"I know" she repeats. Her voice is as distorted as Rinoas is. Rinoa stands directly in front of her. They both look at each other. Rinoa shivers slightly under Quistis gaze.

__

She's not herself. It's as if the power has forged a new being. No wonder Ultimecia was shocked.

I'll say Quistis thinks to her. She opens her hands, balls them into fists and jerks her arms downwards. Rinoa can barely stand as the wings on Quistis back glow fully, and her power rises to its fullest. She has to power up herself to stand up, and even then, she can just manage.

"Do you want me to teach you the various spells? I know we don't have a lot of time but…"

"No Rinoa, there's no need" Quistis says. "As I already know. It's as if it was a book I read has just come back to me. I know everything."

"Wow, I'm impressed" Rinoa says. "It took me 5 hours."

Quistis smiles, then drops her power. Rinoa follows suit.

"I'm ready."

"You sure?" Rinoa asks her.

"As sure as I can be…" she trails off.

"What's up?" asks Rinoa.

"Did Squall ever tell you what happened to him at the Lunatic Pandora?" she says to her suddenly.

Rinoa shakes her head. "No, nothing, why?"

"He was killed you know" she says, watching the look on Rinoas face. "And he was allowed to come back..."

"Back?" says Rinoa. _That's what Seifer said too_ she thinks. _Back from the dead?_

"He also told me other things as well," Quistis says, shaking Rinoa out of her thoughts.

"Like what?" 

"That he knows who I am really, and where I came from. He knew my parents, what happened to them, and the fact that Ultimecia is my sister."

Rinoa's eyes go wide. "Sister?" she whispers to her. Quistis nods her head.

"Does Ultimecia know you're her sister?" she asks.

"I don't think so, at least, not anymore" Quistis says quietly. "I think the reason she was shocked was because someone told me I was a sorceress, and she went to trouble to stop me from knowing."

"Who told you?" Rinoa asks.

"The Great Hyne" Quistis says simply. Rinoa is at a loss for words. Quistis continues.

"He spoke to Squall. He told Squall everything. From what I am, etc. to what he must do. Hyne let him come back to help. Hyne has been a factor in this from the start. It was his choice to tell my father to take me to the orphanage. And it was Hyne who decided Squall should be a Knight."

Rinoa looks at her puzzled. "A Knight?"

Quistis looks straight at her. "Yes, a Knight. To me."

__

(Squall)

"So now you know what she can do. And with this machine, she can now do both" Squall says, after filling in the others on Ultimecia. Seifer stands a bit away, looking out into nothing. Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Xu and Nida all stare at Squall dumbstruck.

"She can see into the future _and_ the past? Oh man, this is bad," Zell says. Squall says nothing.

"Yeah, and she's really pissed at us now," Seifer says, not turning around.

"So what do we do?" Xu asks.

"Think of something, you're the headmaster, aren't you?" Seifer says mockingly.

"Leave it out" Squall says to him. Seifer raises his eyebrows and continues looking away.

"The SeeD's and students know what to do, so our mission is to find her and destroy her" Squall says. "Regardless of what happens. If we take her out now, then it might stop things from really getting out of control. Also we need to look after Rinoa and Quistis, as Ultimecia will especially be after those two. All she has to do is get one of their powers…"

"We'll be careful, Squall, that's our job remember? We ain't Knights for nothing."

A silent exchange is passed between them.

"Squall? What do you mean by Quistis? And power?" Xu asks him. Squall looks at her.

"Some other time, as it's too long a story."

Xu nods her head. "We'll be there in an hour."

__

(Rinoa/Quistis)

"Squall? Your Knight?" Rinoa asks, curious.

"Yes" says Quistis, looking away. "He has been a Knight since the orphanage. Or rather, he was chosen to be my Knight."

"Chosen?"

"Hyne picked him to be my Knight, and together, when the time came, we would have destroyed Ultimecia. We would have actually done it in the Pandora if we were together."

Rinoa shakes her head. "Together?"

Quistis looks up at her. "Squall was meant to be my Knight. But factors arose that stopped it from happening. I don't know the whole story, but this… _story_ is acting out in a different manner than the way it was supposed to."

Rinoa looks at her, not saying a word.

"Squall told me this, and he also said that he has chosen his sorceress" Quistis continues. "So looks like I go without. But no worries, as I will destroy her, with your help hopefully."

"Of course" Rinoa says. There is a moment of silence.

"Is that all? Did he says anything else?" she asks Quistis.

"No" Quistis says quietly. A small sharp pain stabs in her chest.

"Why did he choose me? Why didn't he become your Knight?"

"He didn't say" Quistis says still quietly. "All that he had already chosen."

Rinoa looks at Quistis. Although she sees a tear running down her cheek, she doesn't ask anything else.

"Come on" Rinoa says to her. "Let's go get her."

Quistis smiles, turning away to wipe her face. "Yes, let's"

Rinoa makes a gate, and they both step through it.

__

(Squall)

A white light appears in the room. They all turn and watch as Quistis and Rinoa step out. Seifer and Squall look at them both, as does the others.

"Hello, we're back," says Quistis as Rinoa drops the gate.

"Good to see you!" Selphie yelps as the others stand around them. Quistis looks over at Squall, then at Seifer, who is watching her intently.

"We're almost there guys," Xu says. "Nida says 20 minutes, and you can see the battle from here."

Selphie and the others get onto the lift and head up. Only Squall, Seifer and Quistis wait back.

"What is it?" Quistis asks as Seifer and Squall stand in front of her.

"Ask her" Squall says quietly, then walks off to the lift.

"What?" she says again. She looks in disbelief as Seifer draws Hyperion, lays it in from of her, and then bends down on one knee.

"Sorceress Quistis, I wish to have the honour of being your Knight." He says nothing more. He keeps his head bowed, waiting for a response.

Quistis looks at the top of his head, mouth open. Knight? She suddenly remembers what Squall said… about having to go somewhere because he had a choice to make regarding a person. This was it…

She crouches down and places a hand under Seifer's chin. Looking into his eyes, she simply says.

"Yes, and I would be honoured to have you as my Knight."

Seifer does not respond, merely nodding his head, and leading the way up to the lift.

__

(Trabia Garden – The War Starts)

__

They were fighting well, even for a ramshackle of a Garden.

Ultimecia looks down on them from above. She floats there, watching the ensuing carnage with a mild look of satisfaction on her face. She is no longer worried she can't see the outcome, as with all these monsters, she would be able to take anywhere and anyone easily.

She is distracted from her thought by the sight of Balamb Garden coming over the hills. She smiles and speaks a strange tongue out loudly. Every monster nearby stops and looks over the hill. They too spot the Garden. They take off as one or stampede towards it. Ultimecia smiles, and raises her hands up. A massive gate forms behind her. Without warning, thousands upon thousands of monsters pour out of the gate, flooding over her and speeding towards Garden. In the middle of the flood, Ultimecia smiles.

__

The wheel of destiny never stops, merely turns differently.

__

(Squall)

"Here they come!" Xu shouts, as Squall and the others take off down the lift. A huge bang and rumbling envelops the Garden as monsters flood into every available spot. Squall and the others immediately take up battle positions as the monsters swarm over them. 

"We have to get out of here!" screams Selphie.

"I know where she is!" Quistis yells louder. The Garden is slowly but surely damaged from within with all the fighting and blasts from weapons. SeeD's, students and monsters are everywhere.

"Get closer!" Rinoa yells as they crowd into a circle. Seifer swings his blade over his head like a propeller, decapitating at least 5 monsters in one go. Squall follows suit, as well as Irvine's gun, and they successfully keep the monsters at bay.

Quistis throws both of her arms up and a white arc surrounds them all. She snaps her fingers and they disappear. Almost instantly they reappear at the entrance to Trabia Garden. Several students scream as Rinoa and Quistis power up. They turn to run, but are stopped in their tracks as Ultimecia lands in front of them. She raises her arms and prepares to blast the students. But Quistis is faster and manages to block the attack.

"So you've finally learned your tricks of the trade" Ultimecia says mockingly to Quistis.

Quistis says nothing; she stares at her, her eyes glowing intently.

"Fine, if you want me, let's go somewhere more suitable shall we?"

She vanishes.

"Where has she went?" says Irvine.

"To where it ended last time," Quistis says to him. "To the orphanage."


	17. Tears In Heaven

****

BLACK RAIN

__

As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

'Of all the treasures we accumulate in life, the most precious is true friendships'

****

Chapter 17 – Tears In Heaven

The orphanage was deserted.

It was still the same. Ruined, desolate, and still luckily (what was left of it) standing upright. Squall and the others land on the ground. The gate vanishes. The first thing that hits them is the silence.

"Where is she?" Zell says.

"Could be a trap," Seifer says, drawing Hyperion out slowly.

"Quistis? Rinoa?" asks Squall. Indeed, both of them are glowing slightly. Rinoa has her eyes closed.

"She is here, but I don't know, as there are other forms here also" says Rinoa.

"Other forms? What do you mean?" asks Selphie.

An explosion suddenly separates them. It rips through the middle of the group. They are all flung to different places as the blast explodes.

"What the?" yells Irvine. He quickly raises his gun and starts firing.

"I though sharpshooters could aim better than that" says a soft voice.

They all spin round and see Ultimecia standing there. Behind her, at least 20 huge vividly colored insetcoid monsters stand behind her in silence. Squall and Rinoa immediately recognize them as Propagators.

"They're very tough," she says to the others. Seifer and Quistis quickly regroup the others. Ultimecia looks at him. She smirks. Seifer growls at her.

"So you survived somehow, turncoat. As did you" she looks at Squall. "I don't know how, but it doesn't matter. Did you really think that I didn't have a backup plan involving you Almasy? In case you did something like this? You have no idea what I did to you in the Lunatic Pandora"

"And like I give a crap about that?" he spits.

She smiles more broadly. "Oh, you should." Ultimecia points a finger at him. Suddenly Seifer starts to jerk about rapidly, clutching his head. Without warning, he gets up and flies at Ultimecia, landing at her feet.

"Ha ha now, destroy your little friends" she says. On that note, he flies forward. His eyes are once again that strange, glowing unblinking way.

"Move!" shouts Squall. He too races forward, swinging his Gunblade at Seifer. The two blades clash as they spill away from the fight.

"Now, it really is time" says Ultimecia. She flies at Selphie, and using a Holy spell, sends her sprawling to the ground. Ultimecia is rocked as Quistis lashes her whip at her. The whip coils itself around her waist. Quistis pulls sharply, and Ultimecia is sent sprawling to the floor.

"Damn you girl, Die! All of you!" 

She says something in a strange tongue. Suddenly the stationary Propagators come to life. They charge into the fray. Zell and the others barely register as the huge monsters bear on top of them.

Squall dives under Seifer, who swings around and tries to stab him in the back. Squall dodges and parries Seifers attack. Squall then knocks Seifers blade out of the way and charges into him.

"Squall! Take it easy!" says Seifer.

Squall stops. "What?"

Seifer grins at him. "Hyne told me how to resist her mind spell, this is for show, now I got an idea."

The Propagators don't seem to go down, despite the SeeD's and Rinoa's best efforts. Quistis uses her magic to blast 3 of them into oblivion, but they come back as they were different colors.

Ultimecia watches with interest. _Now._

She flies into the fray. Quistis spins round and uses a slow spell. This is reflected off of Ultimecia, and bounces away. Luckily one of the Propagators is hit, and quickly destroyed by Zell. Ultimecia curses and takes off. Quistis follows. They both stop in the air. Quistis gold wings shining against Ultimecia's Dark gray ones.

"I thought about possibly telling you something, but now I wont" Quistis says.

"Why would I care?" asks Ultimecia mockingly.

"You should, as it involves you and me" she yells. 

"Well what is it then? It better be good."

"You can't remember me?"

"Get to the point, you silly girl."

"You're my sister! Can't you feel it? I can in you, ever since I saw you in the Lunatic Pandora, I had a feeling I knew you from somewhere! That's why! I'm your sister!"

Ultimecia looks at her. "What… what kind of trick is this?" she says. A look of curiosity is on her face.

"It's no trick. Don't you remember our parents? Our mother or father?"

She looks at her. "I have no parents! They are a forgotten memory!"

__

Of course, Squall told me Hyne made her forget thinks Quistis.

"I… I don't believe you! You're merely stalling! Now die!" screams Ultimecia.

Ultimecia's face is one of shock as Quistis reacts first and rams into her. Grabbing her by the arm, she uses her free arm to summon an Ultima spell.

"Fine, so be it. I'm no longer helping you, sister."

Ultimecia quickly punches Quistis in the stomach. Quistis reels from the blow.

"I don't… care you're my sister! Give me your power!" she screams. She lances an Ultima spell of her own right into Quistis chest.

Rinoa and the others look up in horror as Ultimecia blows Quistis away. A huge amount of red and gold sparks emits from the explosion, and engulfs Ultimecia, who lands with a thud on her back.

"Quistis!" scream Rinoa and Selphie. But it is too late.

Quistis falls to the ground. She doesn't move.

Rinoa can't help herself.

"You" she says to Ultimecia, who is picking herself up. She screams and casts Apocalypse. The others dive out of the way as the spell engulfs everything around her. The Propagators are blown to nothing as Rinoa dives for Ultimecia. Ultimecia cackles and disappears. Rinoa stops. Lightning crackles rapidly around her.

"Oh now this is much better" says Ultimecia, standing a few feet away from Rinoa. "See what happens when you drop your guard? As for you… where's your Knight now? She didn't have one and look what happened. Yours is 'busy' so what are you going to do now?"

She laughs and powers up more. Rinoa watches as Ultimecia's wings change from gray, to black.

"What are you going to do now!" she screams. Rinoa doesn't flinch as a powerful wind blows from her. The others are flattened by the blast.

__

Its all up to me, I have to destroy her. But… she's now too powerful she thinks_._

Don't think like that. Like I told Squall, don't believe what you saw in the future says a voice to her_._

Huh? Hyne?

You're a smart one. Oh, and tell Squall about the Jewelry of the Lion.

The what? She thinks.

__

The ring around your neck. Toss it to Squall. He'll know what to do.

"OK" she whispers.

"Are you finished your phone call? Can we get on with it now?" Ultimecia asks mockingly. A dark cloud starts to envelop. It is moving rapidly and changing shape. 

"What… is that?" asks Zell.

"It's not a cloud that's for sure" Irvine gasps.

"It's more monsters," says Selphie, picking herself up.

The monsters race over their heads and land in a huge circle. Various types growl and snarl at them as they form a tight ring around the group. The ring of monsters grows closer. Ultimecia simply smiles.

"You DO realize that, even if you beat me, you won't beat them. I win either way. As long as you're dead, I'm happy."

"You're forgetting something," says a voice. Ultimecia turns around and sees Squall. Squall looks at Quistis.

__

Oh no, Quistis. He thinks in shock. He sees Rinoa take off her chain. He looks at her. _What's she doing?_

"Here! Catch!" shots Rinoa and tosses the ring to Squall. He catches it.

__

Use the Jewelry of the Lion it will help you. Like I said.

Squall looks at it, then at the equally puzzled face of Ultimecia.

__

Is this? No way…

Squall puts the ring on, and throws out his hands.

"What the hell are you doing? Magic? Oh I suppose so, let you have your way. You have already impressed me by defeating Seifer, so I guess a little magic wont hurt." She smiles pleasantly at him.

Ultimecia doesn't see Rinoa back up towards the others.

"Now!" Rinoa shouts. Ultimecia turns and sees her vanish with the others.

"What the?" she shouts.

Squall closes his eyes and concentrates. Suddenly a huge flash bursts from his hands. A shape forms in front of him.

It is a lion. A silver-gray lion with a red horns that are shaped like a crown on its head. Two blood red sword-like claws are on its elbows. Huge feline feet and hands with wicked sharp claws also adorn the beast.

"I… saw you… you are…"

She doesn't have time to finish the sentence as Squall shouts, alongside Griever.

"Shockwave Pulsar!"

Griever crosses his hands over his chest and drags all of the monsters with him. They are blown into a non-space area. A huge column of white light dominates the middle. Suddenly a huge black ball of energy blasts over every one, blowing them all into nothing.

Ultimecia manages to disappear just before the energy hits her. She materializes onto the ground.

A wet sensation runs down her back as something sharp drives into her back. She looks down.

A sword is sticking out of her front. She turns around and looks into familiar green eyes.

"I said I owed you one, bitch" says Seifer.

She turns back around as Squall cries out, LionHeart behind him ready to swing. Ultimecia simply stares as he gets closer. As he does, she sees a shape behind him.

A ghostly image. Of a girl in orange. A look of hate is etched on her face. She speaks, as, if in slow motion, Squall gets closer to deliver the blow.

"You are my sister. This could have turned out differently a long time ago, or if you just listened to me."

Ultimecia hears only one more thing as Squall takes her head off. Before it goes black.

"May you rot in Hell."

To those who watched, Squall killed the monsters with Griever, then watched as Seifer stabbed Ultimecia in the back. They then watched as Squall killed her once and for all. Huge sparks of energy flew outwards. Rinoa, using her speed, stands in the way of them. They slam into her and engulf her. She falls to the ground.

"Rinoa!" shouts Squall and runs over to her. Rinoa moans slightly.

"I'm fine Squall, in a few minutes I'll be up."

"What did you do?" he asks.

"I don't want anyone else becoming powerful. This way, all this power can stay stored in one person. Me."

Squall nods his head. He looks over at the body of Quistis.

"Give me a minute."

He walks over to where she lay. Seifer is already there. He is kneeled in the position that Knights use to swear fealty. He looks up at Squall.

"I could have stopped this," he says. "I could have saved her."

Squall crouches down too, in the same position.

"I'm sorry Seifer, I don't think you could, none of us could. I think she chose to try to reason with her, but it was too late."

Seifer nods his head. "You're right."

He gets up. "I know I'm supposed to do it, but I want you to take her back to Garden."

"Where are you going?" Squall asks him.

"Me?" Seifer says, looking him straight in the eye. "I failed as a Knight. I'm not going to show my face again."

Squall opens his mouth, but Seifer raises his hand.

"I'll see you around" he says, and walks off. He walks two steps before turning around.

"She loved you, you know," he says. Squall looks at him. "She told me."

Squall hangs his head. He says nothing as Seifer walks away. Rinoa and the others, all hurting, walk up to him.

"Where's he going?" asks Selphie.

"Away. Far away" he replies. He picks up Quistis body. He looks at her face.

__

I love you. Always remember that. I'll watch over you, my love.

Squall closes his eyes as a single tear runs down his cheek.

"Let's go home."

****


	18. Finality

****

BLACK RAIN

__

As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.

'Does the end more than justify the means?' 

****

Chapter 18 – Finality

__

(Squall – Cape of Good Hope)

He stands there, looking at the headstone. 

It is a simple one. Simple in its design, but also more than fitting for her. It would have suited her. He admitted that she was a lot like him when it came to the simplest of things. Like him, she also would not have wanted all this fuss about her. She would have wanted just what she wanted, despite the protests of others.

It has been 3 years now, but ever since her funeral, Squall has came to this spot every day, same time without fail. He stands for ten minutes looking at the headstone, no longer, no less.

A lot has happened over the last 3 years.

He remembers it all too well.

__

(After the fight – 3 years ago)

The Garden is a shambles, but all monsters are vanquished. The majority of them had followed them to the orphanage, and was slain by Griever. Squall heads out first of the gate made by Rinoa, carrying Quistis body in his arms. She looks as if she is asleep. But the looks on the SeeD's faces make it all too clear what had happened. Squall ignores them as he walks past, carrying her to the Infirmary.

Dr Kadowaki says nothing. There are few casualties to the students and staff. The doctor ushers Squall into a side room, where he gently lays Quistis body onto the bed. The doctor says nothing as the others file in behind him. And as they all stand over her body, a voice speaks softly to them.

"Let me in please."

It is Edea. She too looks sad, but she also looks as if she has been crying. The others back up slightly, but not Squall. He feels Edea's hand on his shoulder.

"I know you tried. You all did, I'm sorry" she says.

Squall says nothing. He lets out a shuddery breath, and simply nods his head.

"May I have some time alone?" she asks. The others look at her curiously, but they also realize they _must_ depart. Though the reason is not clear.

"All of you, except you Rinoa, please."

Rinoa looks at her suddenly. Deciding not to ask, she simply says, "OK."

They depart, even the doctor, leaving the two sorceresses in there.

__

(1 hour later)

Rinoa leaves the room; her face is downcast, but also determined. She looks at Squall.

"Edea would like you all to go in, one-by-one, and pay your respects" she says simply.

Squall does not reply, merely nods his head. They file in one by one.

Squall goes in first. Edea is sitting there. She does not open her closed eyes, nor does she make any movement. Squall, realizing she is doing something, merely bows his head for a moment in front of Quistis. He leaves. The others follow suit. Afterwards Edea and Rinoa leave. Squall asks her what happened, but Rinoa answers simply.

"I can't tell you, and I'm sorry Squall I never will. I swore not to."

(2 days later)

The funeral is a somber affair. The entire Garden, even Trabia and the last students from Galbadia Garden, line the rocky pathway leading to the Orphanage. She would be laid to rest here under Edea's orders. No one questions it.

Afterwards, the Garden seems (to Squall) to suddenly get back to normal, as if nothing happened. But Squall can see it in his friends that they are all hurt by what happened.

As the depart, Squall looks to his left, he thinks he sees a black- cloaked figure vanishing over the hills, but he thinks nothing of it. For now.

__

(7 days later)

Selphie and Irvine announce they are engaged. They decided to spring it on the others as a way of cheering them up. Everyone is happy. Even Squall himself smiles. A few days later, they take off for Trabia Garden. Apart from their wedding, Squall hasn't seen them.

Zell… well Zell was Zell. After the funeral, not many people saw him. He was too busy working his ass off in missions. Confiding to Squall one day he simply said

"Keeping busy, that's my way of beating it."

Squall agrees. A week later, he too finally comes clean to the others. Rinoa had been pestering him about it, so just for the quiet, he decides to tell the others his plans.

"I'm quitting SeeD," he says simply. Cid and Edea, who have stayed in Garden since Quistis funeral, don't express anything. Unlike Zell, Xu and Nida, who make a lot of noise about it. Cid calms them down.

"Why Squall?" he asks.

Squall looks at Rinoa. She smiles.

"Because I'm hurting too. Because I want to quit, because…" he trails off. He lets out a breath.

"Because I want peace."

Edea says nothing, merely smiles slightly. Cid nods his head.

"Very well Squall, if that is your wish."

"Thank you" he says simply. Then, with Rinoa, he leaves. The others say nothing as Squall walks out the door.

"Hey, Cid? Why didn't you stop him?" asks Zell.

Cid looks at him. "Something inside me told me this was going to happen."

__

(Now)

He resigned as a SeeD, and, with Rinoa, takes off into the unknown. He really can't think at all about it, as it seemed like a blur to him. But here he was, at the orphanage now. And even now, a lot has changed. His home, his life and his family.

His home is in Winhill. The Winhill folk were suspicious at first, but they asked no questions. All they saw was a newly married (Rinoa wanted something huge, but Squall made some noise about it. In the end it was just a small affair, with only the orphanage gang, Cid, Edea and Xu in attendance.) couple just wanting to move in. Squall was even more shocked when Rinoa told him she was…

"Hey, what are you doing daddy?" a little girl asks. Squall turns, and sees her running up to him.

__

Expecting a child.

"I take it mum let you come here, then huh?" he asks with a smile on his face.

The little girl nods her head. She is about 2 years old, and is the double of her mother. 

"Yes, me too" says Rinoa, walking up to him. She stands alongside him and they both look at the stone.

"What are you staring at mom? Dad?" asks the little girl.

"Nothing sweetie, just a stone" Rinoa answers.

"What's so special about a stone?" she asks. Squall lifts her up.

"It's special, because it reminds your mum and dad of someone special."

"Special person? Like an angel? Mum is an angel. She has these white wings. She showed me."

Squall laughs. Rinoa also. Squall looks into the eyes of his daughter.

"Yes, she was an angel too."

"What does the stone say?"

Squall looks at the stone quietly, then reads out to her:

QUISTIS TREPE

BELOVED FRIEND, SeeD AND INSTRUCTOR

FOREVER MISSED

"Hey that's the same name as me!" the little girl says.

"I know," says Squall quietly. "I know, Quistis Leonhart."

No more is said as they stare off out to the ocean, Squalls arms around his wife and daughter.

He closes his eyes. He hears something.

Thank you, for such an honor.

Squall smiles. Rinoa turns to him.

"We're going home, want to come with us?"

He shakes his head. "No, I think ill stay here a bit longer, if that's ok."

"Ok dear, ill leave the gate open for you" she kisses him, and leaves.

He stands there for a further few minutes. He nods one last time at the stone, then turns around, only to be frozen to the spot. Someone is behind him, someone he hasn't seen in a_ long _time.

"You come here too?" says Seifer. Squall says nothing. Seifer walks up alongside Squall.

"So do I."

Squall faces the stone, then turns to Seifer. He looks beaten, a man now who looks as if he has been doing nothing but travelling. Squall heard a report about a month after Quistis death, about a man fitting Seifer's description heading to this location…

"I've been watching over everyone, since this" he says, gesturing to the stone.

"Me as well?" asks Squall.

"Yeah, and Rinoa, and your kid. Also Irvine, Selphie, and even Zell. Your all doing good for yourselves I see."

"I'm getting by" Squall answers. Finally he decides to cut to the point.

"Why were you watching?"

Seifer looks at the ground. "For two reasons. One, I still blame myself, even to this day, for what happened to her" he says flatly. "And I thought, that if I watched over the others, I could still make up for it. I know it was her choice and all, but I still feel it was I…" he says nothing more. He turns around and walks away. Squall calls to him.

"What was the other reason?"

Seifer turns around, and looks him in the eye.

"I'm going to ask you a question Squall, and I want you to answer me honestly."

"Well, your going to have to ask it first," he says gruffly.

"Truthful answer?" he says sternly.

"Yes, truthful answer" Squall says in a final voice.

Seifer looks at him quietly for a minute.

"It's about your daughter," he says. Squall's eyes narrow.

"No, she's fine, I'm just curious that's all, because, you know, she is a girl, and what she may become."

"Cut to the damn point Seifer" Squall snaps.

Seifer walks up to him and asks his question. The question spreads an evil feeling through his whole body.

"Are you afraid?" he asks simply.

Squall takes a step back, before answering.

"Yes, I am. But it won't happen, not this time."

Seifer says nothing as they look at each other. It begins to rain. They both look down.

The rain is black.

Authors Note: Well that's it. I would like to dedicate this story to My little sisters Kellie and Samantha, who, if it wasn't for them (Kel especially) squabbling over the color of rain, I would never have thought about the title OR the story.

I think this story is a way of defying the future. You see people saying 'I believe in fate'. I do, but I also believe you can decide what fate it is. I am going to work on the prequel now, mainly because I want to, but also because I'm getting hassled by certain folk. (Col, BSS, you know who you are lol)

Take care everyone, thanks for all the reviews. All were read and much appreciated.


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